Machine Learning for Semi-Automated Meteorite Recovery

Anderson, Seamus; Towner, Martin; Bland, Phil; Haikings, Christopher; Volante, William; Sansom, Eleanor; Devillepoix, Hadrien; Shober, Patrick; Hartig, Benjamin; Cupak, Martin; Jansen-Sturgeon, Trent; Howie, Robert; Benedix, Gretchen; Deacon, Geoff

We present a novel methodology for recovering meteorite falls observed and constrained by fireball networks, using drones and machine learning algorithms. This approach uses images of the local terrain for a given fall site to train an artificial neural network, designed to detect meteorite candidates. We have field tested our methodology to show a meteorite detection rate between 75-97%, while also providing an efficient mechanism to eliminate false-positives. Our tests at a number of locations within Western Australia also showcase the ability for this training scheme to generalize a model to learn localized terrain features. Our model-training approach was also able to correctly identify 3 meteorites in their native fall sites, that were found using traditional searching techniques. Our methodology will be used to recover meteorite falls in a wide range of locations within globe-spanning fireball networks.