Developing technology for nature
Since 2008, iNaturalist has been a leader in the development of technology for nature. By evaluating and leveraging emerging innovations, we create digital tools to improve biodiversity observation and species identification for naturalists worldwide.
Our approach
We evaluate new technologies based on their potential to improve biodiversity observation and education. We focus on developing tools that are scientifically useful, technically robust, and accessible to users with varying experience levels.
Platform creation (2008)
The iNaturalist website was launched to crowdsource observations and identifications using an underlying taxonomy encompassing the entire tree of life.
Mobile application development (2010)
We developed mobile applications to be used out in the field, integrating camera, GPS, and identification tools for immediate data capture.
Computer vision for species identification (2017)
Our computer vision models analyze images and suggest likely species based on millions of community-verified observations. The system recognizes thousands of species and improves as our database grows.
Geographic modeling (2023)
We developed geomodels that incorporate location data to predict which species are most likely to occur at specific locations, improving identification accuracy.
Open biodiversity range maps (2025)
We released comprehensive range maps including over 100,000 species generated from community observations, updated monthly and available under open licensing.
New technologies and open data
We develop technology-supported tools to enhance human expertise rather than replace it.
- Human-AI collaboration: AI tools provides suggestions while community members verify and provide context
- Open source: We document and share our technical approaches with the research community through our open source software
- Open data: Our data and documentation are freely available to researchers and educators
We continue exploring emerging technologies for biodiversity applications, focusing on data organization, enhanced identification tools, educational content, and research accessibility. Our development is guided by improvements in user experience, data quality, and scientific utility.