Wonder ‘Petal’ Nature Camera Mimics a Flower to Attract Birds and Bugs

1 day ago 4

 An orange camera near vibrant poppies and a butterfly, with a solar panel on a leaf-shaped stand, set against a blue sky.

The creators of Bird Buddy unveiled a new series of products under new “Wonder” branding, including an AI-powered nature camera, Petal, that mimics a flower to get close-up shots of nectar-loving birds and insects.

Petal is a new circular “biomorphic” camera that can wrap around branches — like a vine — or attach a flexible stem to be placed in a flower pot or garden. A solar panel similar in shape to a leaf powers the Petal camera. Beyond standing upright in a garden or flower pot and wrapping around things like branches, another attachment allows people to hang their Petal camera off a tree or pole to shoot straight down onto a terrarium or plant, perfect for watching bugs crawling around.

A whimsical scene with a butterfly on a branch, a blue lamp, a ladybug on grass, and a yellow security camera against a bright orange background.

Alongside the Wonder Petal, Bird Buddy announced Wonder Blocks, a modular set of blocks and products to help attract photographic subjects like butterflies. Beyond the pots is a dedicated Butterfly Feeder to provide butterflies a place to “rest and recharge,” a terrarium, a bee hotel, a seed tray, and a bug hotel.

Illustration of eco-friendly garden equipment including a camera with flexible stem, solar panel, and universal clip. On the right, terrarium, butterfly feeder, bug hotel, bee hotel, plant base, pedestal, and seed tray are depicted.

The Petal sports a 12-megapixel camera that records 4K video, up from the 5-megapixel sensor on the most recent Bird Buddy that records up to 2K resolution video.

The Petal also has a unique trick up its sleeve, though: swappable lenses. Users can swap between wide-angle and telephoto lenses depending on the photos and videos they want to capture. The different modules screw onto the Petal, making changing focal lengths a breeze.

Exploded view of an orange camera lens assembly against a vibrant yellow background, showing multiple lens elements and housing parts aligned in a vertical arrangement.

Like the Bird Buddy, the Petal will include AI features and connect to a smartphone app. Users can monitor the Petal camera live from their phones and remotely capture photos and videos to share with friends.

Three cylindrical planters with wildflowers and bee hotels are set on grass under a clear sky. A hedgehog is nearby, and butterflies and bees hover around the flowers, creating a vibrant and ecological garden scene.

The app can keep track of birds and insects seen by the camera, help users identify the species, and even has an AI chatbot that provides information about animals, insects, and the person’s garden.

“With our new products under a different brand name, Wonder, we are able to go beyond birds to reveal the marvelous secret life of nature hiding in plain sight,” says Franci Zidar, CEO of Wonder. “Through Petal and Wonder Blocks we can use creative technology to spark curiosity and the joy of discovery, inviting people to connect and experience the natural world as it truly is, a place that is buzzing and enchanting.”

Pricing and Availability

The Wonder Petal and Wonder Blocks will be available first on Kickstarter this spring. Pricing has not yet been announced.


Image credits: Bird Buddy / Wonder

Read Entire Article