Leafsnap App Developed by Jacobs to Launch in U.K.

Leafsnap, a free mobile app that can identify a tree’s species from a simple photograph of a leaf taken by anyone walking in the woods with their iPhone, is scheduled to make its debut in the United Kingdom within the next two weeks.

The innovative electronic field guide was launched in the United States in 2011 by David Jacobs, a professor of computer science with an appointment in UMIACS, in collaboration with researchers from Columbia University and the Smithsonian Institution.

The app uses visual recognition software that can instantly search through a library of leaf images to match a leaf photo to its species. The app has already been downloaded more than a million times, Jacobs says.

The Leafsnap team is also planning release of another iPhone app called Birdsnap in the near future. Similar to Leafsnap, the app will identify a bird’s species from its photograph.

To view a video of Jacobs’s research involving Leafsnap, go here: http://vimeo.com/40252054