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New tracking technology for conservation
The Albanu Wildlife Foundation is committed to developing a revolutionary new technology that aims to simplify the daily monitoring of elephants and rhinoceroses by anti-poaching units and researchers dedicated to studying endangered species.
After extensive consultations with organizations on the ground, it became clear that a technological revolution in the field of monitoring was essential. Currently, the tracking collars in use are costly, bulky, and lack adequate lifespan, necessitating a rethinking of the entire tracking system.
In our quest for innovation, we first explored the idea of creating small tracking devices to be attached to the tails of elephants. Although our initial attempts showed promising results, they did not fully meet our expectations. We had succeeded in reducing the weight from 22 kg to 750 g, but the lifespan remained unchanged. It was at this point that we decided to start from scratch, focusing on the development of kinetic trackers.
Our new tracker design, utilizing this innovative technology, ensures secure monitoring of these magnificent animals through the use of the Lora WAN system, while extending their lifespan through the energy generated by the animals’ movements. In partnership with Silotron, we have developed a unique and entirely secure tracking system that will revolutionize how we protect and study these beautiful creatures and their environment.
This innovative solution connects to a fixed or mobile terminal, facilitating the exchange of secure information and traceability among various IoT devices, drones, and gateways deployed in the monitored areas.
These terminals ensure technological interoperability and coordinate preventive and intervention actions in the field. The centralization of security devices in a reserve is ensured by a supervision system via a local or cloud-based control tower, strategically positioned to manage the various elements of the solution, including IoT trackers, drones, vehicles, and more.
This approach optimizes control operations, prioritizing prevention to ensure the safety of people and the protection of endangered species.
Using technology to prevent poaching
The innovative concept of Albanu Wildlife Foundation and Silotron centers around the use of cutting-edge technologies to actively combat poaching, with a particular focus on protecting elephants and rhinoceroses, severely endangered species.
Animals respond in distinct ways to various situations, and by studying behavioral patterns using artificial intelligence, it’s possible to recognize unique behavior patterns. In the natural environment, animals react to predators, other species, and even differently to vehicles passing through their habitat, whether they are park observation vehicles or private vehicles. They also exhibit varying reactions to humans moving within the reserve.
Anticipating poaching activities in the bush is crucial, and animal behaviors can serve as an early warning system.
Here is our method:
1. Tagging various animal species with low-frequency trackers equipped with micro-kinetic chargers to maintain battery charge during animal movements, reducing the need for frequent retagging.
2. Utilizing strategically positioned LoRaWAN gateways to monitor animal movements day and night.
3. In the establishment phase, monitoring animal behavior and movements using drones to aid AI programming. Scenarios involving human presence in the park during the day and night are recorded to better understand animal behavior.
4. Creating a digital twin park through AI algorithms, providing access to historical data and animal movements.
5. Detecting human activities or poaching triggers alarms, followed by drone intervention to confirm the alarm’s validity. The drone is equipped with human detection and facial recognition capabilities to track poachers and assist anti-poaching units in apprehending them.
6. LoRaWAN gateways and trackers also allow for comprehensive park management, including monitoring water points, pumps, soil pH, and tracking all park assets, including staff and vehicles.
7. Temporary magnetic detectors can be placed on visitor vehicles to track their movements, creating a technologically-driven AI park management system.
This innovative approach revolutionizes how we protect endangered wildlife and offers a state-of-the-art park management system. It demonstrates Albanu Wildlife Foundation & Silotron’s commitment to using technology to safeguard our planet’s precious wildlife.
Transverse functionalities
Mapping Features
The mapping features make it possible to identify in advance all the environmental and contextual characteristics of the areas to be protected in order to implement an effective protection.
Before any implementation of the solution, a field analysis must be carried out by collecting different sources of existing information and carrying out a detailed map survey of the areas to be protected in the reserve concerned. This operation collects all the information needed to establish a strategic and tactical plan for preparing field operations. The devices will thus be able to be positioned at the most relevant places and times to ensure the effectiveness of the controls and actions that must be carried out to ensure the optimum security of the critical areas of the reserve.
Multi-reserve cloud management and coordination features
The cloud features consolidate and analyse information from multiple reserves to establish effective action plans and coordinate responses to new attacks.
In order to benefit from the power of the cloud, The Albanu Foundation uses the main technical components of the AI, IOT management and centralised data platform functions at the heart of its solution.
WHERE WE WORK
We are currently working in Southern Africa, mainly in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. We do hope to be able to extend our work quickly to Eastern Africa and in the future in Asia as well. Our technologies can be applied to help protect any numbers of animals not just only elephants. It will be a great help toward Rhino poaching as well.
