Seek

Overview

Seek is a mobile app that uses computer vision to identify plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms from photos taken by the user. It is designed for casual nature enthusiasts, educators, and citizen scientists in the United States to learn about biodiversity. The app stands out by connecting identifications to the iNaturalist community database for verified observations.

Key Features

• Camera Identification - Instantly identifies organisms by pointing the phone camera at them in real-time.
• Photo Analysis - Analyzes uploaded photos to suggest species matches with confidence scores.
• iNaturalist Integration - Pulls data from iNaturalist observations for accurate, community-verified identifications.
• Species Details - Provides information on identified species including photos, range maps, and facts.
• Collection Journal - Saves identified observations in a personal journal for tracking discoveries.
• Challenge Mode - Offers gamified challenges to encourage exploration and learning about local species.
• Offline Mode - Supports basic identification without internet after initial download.

Pricing

Platforms & Requirements

Available on iOS (version 15.0+) and Android (version 8.0+). Requires camera access and performs best on devices with good processors for real-time AI. No web or desktop versions; limited to mobile with occasional battery drain from camera use.

Integrations & Ecosystem

• iNaturalist observations database
• Export to iNaturalist app
• Share identifications via social media
• Offline model downloads

Alternatives

Reputation

Seek is praised for its accuracy in identifications due to iNaturalist backing and ease of use for beginners. Users appreciate the free model and educational value. Some criticisms include occasional misidentifications for rare species and lack of advanced features for experts.