PIGÉON GO
A social, AI-powered bird-spotting game.
ABOUT PIGÉON GO
For most of us, the only animals we interact with are household pets. Yet cities are full of opportunities to connect with urban wildlife. Pigéon GO (working title) is an innovative augmented reality game that uses AI to help players recognise pigeons as individuals.
By spotting, naming, and digitally customising real pigeons with your phone, you can build personal connections with the birds you see every day, and in a way that doesn't harm or negatively interfere with them.
Our mission is simple: to spark curiosity and empathy for urban wildlife — and ultimately all animals — through playful, interactive experiences.
COLLECTION, CONNECTION, COMPASSION
So really...why pigeons?
(The Mission)
Pigeons are individuals. They're each pretty and funny and charismatic in their own way — you only have to stop and notice. And if you give people an excuse to pay attention, affection follows.
That's it. That's the beating heart of the game.
Pigéon GO hopes to:
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Turn attention into affection. Imagine realising you're seeing the same pigeon on the same corner every day. Suddenly, this pigeon stops being an object and she becomes Pickle the Pigeon — your friend! Your neighbour! — and your world becomes richer for it.
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Reconnect people with cities, shops, and neighbourhoods. As you build your flock, you may go outside more. You may take longer walks or explore new parts of the city. Maybe you'll recognise the regulars at your corner café, bringing you in more often. You might share your new feathered friends with your human friends — and if you've felt a tad lonely or stressed, seeing a familiar face may help you feel a little less so.
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Rebuild curiosity, care, and empathy. We all still carry our childhood interest in and love of animals. Pigéon GO aims to restoke those fires and, ultimately, encourage a connection beyond pigeons. As you learn to love Pickle the Pigeon, perhaps you'll realise you could feel the same way about any animal — including those we put on our plates.
From these positive pigeon interactions, we hope compassion will bloom — for people, for all animals, and the planet.
ABOUT THE TEAM
We are a small, passionate team with backgrounds in technology, gaming, design, marketing, and animal advocacy. Our goal is to merge playful gaming with meaningful connections to improve the lives of animals and their human neighbours.
ADVISORY BOARD
We're grateful to be supported by advisors who bring expertise in game design, AI technology, wildlife research, and ethical innovation. They help us stay technically credible and mission-focused as we build.
AI
Daria Kern
Daria Kern is an internationally published researcher with over five years of experience in artificial intelligence.
She is pursuing her PhD at Glasgow Caledonian University, specializing in animal re-identification and is responsible for creating the very first public chicken re-identification dataset. Beyond her academic work, Daria co-founded APE Innovation GmbH, where she provides AI consulting services.
AR/XR
Peter Gardom
Peter Gardom is the founder and director of This Great Adventure, an Oxford-based XR development studio.
His work blends narrative design with emerging media to create immersive experiences for heritage, arts and culture, education, creative brands and businesses. With over a decade of experience designing interactive storytelling projects for leading museums and cultural institutions worldwide, Peter is recognised for pioneering the use of AR and XR in public engagement. He is also a Fellow of the RSA and Industry Partner at Loughborough University London since 2015.
Pigeons
Susan Joyce
Susan Joyce is the founder of The National Pigeon Advocacy Association, the founder and director of Little Green Pigeon CIC, and a unifying voice for pigeon care and protection across the UK.
Through LGP, she has raised funds to support sanctuaries for thousands of birds. With the NPAA, she is leading a national effort to educate the public about pigeon welfare, create a funded network of rehabilitators, and work toward ending the bloodsport of pigeon racing. Her initiatives include Harper’s Fund and the UK’s first veterinary- and education-led Pigeon Advocacy Conference in 2025.
Creative Tech
Paul Hayes
Paul Hayes is a programmer, electronics hacker and creative technologist with 25 years experience.
He has developed using a wide variety of cutting edge technologies, including VR, haptics, show lasers, position and pose tracking, computer vision, addressable LEDs, physics simulations and Bluetooth low energy. He currently works as a freelancer making hardware and software for games and interactive experiences.
DEVELOPMENT
PARTNERS
