Plymouth Rock Technologies Inc., a leader in the development of sensing devices and unmanned technologies, is pleased to announce a contract for the sale and delivery of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (“Durrell”) to carry out critical environmental operations in Madagascar.
In early 2019, a team of environmentalists from Durrell and researchers from John Moores University in Liverpool (LJMU) traveled to Lake Alaotra to test the use of drone-based thermal infrared cameras as a new way to monitor lemurs. and identify potential poachers. . Thermal or infrared imaging is the process of taking digital photos with a specialized camera, which records infrared or thermal radiation as opposed to visible light. In short, the drone would fly over large areas of otherwise inaccessible swamps and detect lemurs from their body heat, making them much easier to spot and allowing the team to get more accurate estimates of their population size. . In a single 20-minute flight, the drone was able to cover a larger area of the swamp than a canoe crew could cover in two days, greatly increasing the efficiency of the surveys.
The infrared trial had an immediate, measurable impact on effectiveness in helping Durrell’s work to rebuild healthy wetlands for wildlife and the people who depend on them. The team immediately envisioned how this exciting technology could be adapted for use at other sites and with other species in Madagascar.
Due to the success of this trial, the team received a large research grant from United Kingdom Research Innovation (UKRI) to further develop this surveillance system.
“This project has captivated the entire PRT / Tetra team,” said Carl Cagliarini, Chief Strategy Officer of Plymouth Rock Technologies. “We are honored to have been chosen to provide our UAS technologies to this project and are delighted to be working with Durrell and LJMU / AI Conservation. AI used to aid in the conservation of endangered species is an extremely important technological application. We also look forward to continuing our collaboration with the AI Conservation team on their future efforts and on other projects we have identified that can leverage their capacities, ”Cagliarini concluded.
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is an international charity that works to save species from extinction. Based at Jersey Zoo in the Channel Islands, Durrell focuses on the most endangered species in the most endangered places.
Founded by author and conservationist Gerald Durrell in 1959, Durrell’s overall goal is to create more diverse, beautiful and resilient natural landscapes in which species can thrive and people can enjoy a deeper connection. with nature. Their approach focuses on rewilding animals, rewilding ecosystems, and rewilding people.
LJMU is an ambitious and forward-thinking institution that defies convention and passionately believes in the concept of “One University” – a community working together to achieve common student-centered goals under a clear strategy. Their vision is to be recognized as a modern civic university offering solutions to the challenges of the 21st century.
About conservation AI
Conservation AI aims to harness machine learning for various conservation projects. At present, we are focused on the detection and classification of animals, humans and man-made objects indicating poaching (eg cars, fires). We focus on working with visual spectrum images and thermal infrared cameras used on drones or in camera traps. The goal is to provide a user-friendly workflow that can enable near real-time detection / classification and non-real-time detection / classification.
The AI conservation site allows you to upload your media for automatic species detection using our AI models. Using the site, you can upload single files or batch upload files to create an online library of classified data in one place. The conservation AI platform also supports real-time downloads from devices such as camera traps to enable real-time detection and classification of animal species.
About Plymouth Rock Technologies Inc.
Our mission is to provide technical answers to the most critical problems that threaten our security. We are working with the government, law enforcement and military to innovate solutions for national security, defense and space systems. The company is developing the next generation of threat detection and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) solutions.
The PRT X1 is a purpose-built multirotor UAS, using artificial intelligence, state-of-the-art sensors and the latest dual-camera FLIR module as standard, offering thermal capabilities as well as real-time 1080p HD air-to-ground streaming and 4K video recording, with the possibility of mounting multiple sensors, modules and payloads.
Our advanced threat detection methods merge artificial intelligence with augmented reality interfaces to eliminate human exploitation errors. Plymouth Rock products, both airborne and ground, will search for threatening elements at greater “safe distance” distances than current existing technologies. Our unique radar imaging and signal processing technology creates new opportunities for remote and non-intrusive real-time crowd control.
Plymouth Rock’s core technologies include: (1) UAS platforms designed to comply with HR4753 – Drone Origin Security Enhancement Act (“X1“) (“XV“); (2) Millimeter distance imaging from an airborne drone (“MIRIADE“); (3) A compact microwave radar system for scanning footwear (“Shoe scanner“); (4) A compact modular radar used for a variety of applications, from aircraft detection to weapon detection (“CODA“).