TITLE:
Spy out to Protect: Sensing Devices for Wildlife Virtual Fencing
AUTHORS:
Rita Anastácio, Sérgio Cardoso, Mário Jorge Pereira
KEYWORDS:
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), Microseismic Detection, Virtual Fencing, Free-Ranging Wildlife
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ecology,
Vol.8 No.3,
March
29,
2018
ABSTRACT: To avoid wildlife-human conflict
several solutions are used, like electrical fences, the most expensive
solution. Nowadays, technology enables alternative and cheaper approaches for
conservation projects. A technological device was developed to detect
elephants, moving on their habitat, and predict and react by avoiding
confrontation with man. The devices were tested in field experiments, and
proved to be efficient in capturing floor vibration, and air-sound signals.
Collected data also enabled the estimation of the vibration-source by calculus
(using triangulation), revealing the importance of the methodology for
real-time location and tracking of high mass animals (e.g. elephants). Building
up a mesh of devices, separated 25 m from each other, is estimated as possible
to monitor and identify different animals (by discriminating patterns) in an
area, like a virtual fencing system. Though the devices may be effective for
animal behaviour research, or even animal communication analysis, or other
Biology field, other applications outside Biology are possible for them, like
monitoring of: rock-falling, micro seismic railway, infrastructures, and people
movements.