Daily innovation Satellite cameras saving endangered species
Transcrição
Daily innovation Satellite cameras saving endangered species
Daily innovation Satellite cameras saving endangered species Frankfurt, 27.09.2013. Remote cameras help combat poachers and allow mobile app users to track rare anim als in the wild. As part of the Instant Wild project, new satellite-connected and motion-triggered cameras are beaming near-real-time images of animals from the remotest areas of Africa. A mobile app allows users anywhere in the world to view the photos and immediately identify the animals by cross-checking with the field guide provided in the app. At the same time, the system provides early warning of illegal poaching activity, as well as evidence for prosecutions. Patrick Omondi, deputy director of wildlife conservation at KWS, said: “This technology will enable us to make a significant breakthrough in our day-to-day work with endangered species. We manage around eight per cent of the total land mass of Kenya – and these cameras will be critical in helping us monitor the wellbeing of rare animals and ensure their habitats remain protected from poachers. Through our work with ZSL and Cambridge Consultants, we want to help raise awareness of vulnerable species and the risks they face every day.” The system harnesses the capabilities of a range of technologies – including the versatile Raspberry Pi micro-computer. The cameras can run on a single battery, and they use LED flash lighting to work at night as well as during the day. The captured images are sent back over the Iridium satellite communication network – 66 low earth orbit satellites that represent the only commercial satellite system with full coverage of the globe. “One of our aims is to stop the killing of animals on a daily basis by poachers,” said Professor Jonathan Baillie, director of conservation programmes at ZSL. “In the last 18 months alone, more than 1,000 rhinos in Africa have been killed as a result of soaring demand for rhino horn products. We need to stop the poachers now before it’s too late. “We are installing cameras in Kenya’s Tsavo National Park to create a safety net of eyes and ears to protect threatened wildlife – and contribute to the efforts of cutting poaching there significantly in the next two years.” Richard Traherne, head of wireless at Cambridge Consultants, said: “The challenge was to create a remote monitoring system that was robust enough to withstand extreme weather conditions and animal attacks, and could be easily hidden in any surroundings – all within the available budget. The vital importance of the conservation project gave us a valuable incentive to come up with an innovative new system that could help ZSL in its mission.” Once the system has been installed in Kenya, there are plans to extend it to cover locations such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Himalaya and the South Pole. Facts & figures · One rhino is killed every 11 hours in Africa due to the demand for products made from rhino horns. There are just 539 wild rhinos today in Kenya - compared with the 20,000 that existed in 1969. · Funding for the Instant Wild programme has included donations via the Royal Wedding Charitable Gift Fund of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. · The Instant Wild project won a £500,000 Global Impact Award from Google earlier this year. · ZSL runs conservation programmes in more than 50 countries, as well as London and Whipsnade zoos. Über Altran Altran wurde 1982 in Paris gegründet und ist das global führende Beratungsunternehmen für Innovations- und Ingenieurdienstleistungen. Altran begleitet seine Kunden bei der Konzeption und Entwicklung neuer Produkte und Dienstleistungen und berät seit über 30 Jahren Marktführer aus den Bereichen Automobilbau, Energie, Finanzen, Healthcare, Luftund Raumfahrt, Schienen- und Transportwesen sowie Telekommunikation. Altran deckt mit seinen Beratungsangeboten sämtliche Stufen der strategischen Planung bis hin zur Serienreife und Technologie-Know-how aus vier Solutions Projektentwicklung ab, von der kann dabei auf umfangreiches zurückgreifen: Innovative Technologies, Sustainable Products, Sustainability Concepts sowie Sustainable Enterprise Performance. Altran beschäftigt derzeit weltweit mehr als 20.000 Mitarbeiter in über 20 Ländern, bei einem Jahresumsatz der Gruppe von 1,45 Mrd. Euro im Jahr 2012. Die Aktie von Altran ist an der Euronext-Börse in Paris gelistet. In Deutschland zählt das Beratungsunternehmen rund 3.000 Mitarbeiter an 11 Standorten. Der deutsche Unternehmenssitz befindet sich in Frankfurt am Main. www.altran.de Pressekontakt Dr. Markus Ross Tel.: 0261 91599 733 [email protected]