Artificial intelligence could soon help visitors identify donkeys using just their phones.

Researchers at the University of Southampton are developing an AI-powered app to identify donkeys at the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary, aiming to improve visitor engagement and animal care.

The app, named Ask ELVIS (Equine Long-range Visual Identification System), is being created in partnership with the sanctuary and uses deep learning to recognise individual donkeys from any angle.

Dr Xiaohao Cai, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Southampton, said: "The app will use AI technology to automatically identify individual donkeys.

"The AI recognition will identify individual donkeys from all angles – their faces, as well as from the side or behind."

The app, currently in prototype form, contains a library of hundreds of images of the sanctuary’s 106 donkeys, analysed using deep learning to support accurate identification.

The technology could also support early detection of health issues.

Donkeys are known for hiding signs of illness, but the AI could alert staff if an animal is standing or moving in an unusual way.

Gordon Pattison, trustee of the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary, said: "The donkeys used to wear collars with their names on, but they weren’t safe or comfortable for them.

"Many donkeys don’t have distinguishing features, and they live in herds in our fields, so identifying individual donkeys can be challenging."

The University of Southampton team includes Dr Cai, PhD student Pengcheng Fang, and master’s student Yu-Cheng Lai.

The app is expected to launch on mobile devices by the end of 2025.

Dr Cai said: "It’s a really exciting project.

"It’s great to be working on something that’s beyond our own research and to be able to help such a fantastic charity as the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary."

The app is named in honour of Elvis, one of the sanctuary’s first donkeys, who died in 2024 at around 35 years old.

Stephen Tobitt, general manager at the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary, said: "We’re absolutely delighted to be working with the University of Southampton on this project, which promises to revolutionise our visitor experience."