Wildlife Cage Monitor

SHOWCASE:

A Particle for Good project:

1.) Monitor status of wild animal cage trap door

2.) Monitor occupancy of door

3.) Monitor temperature and humidity

Goal:

These devices were designed to assist with the timeous relocation of leopards in rural farm areas.

The cages are placed over vast rural area and are currently monitored on a set schedule. Due to the remote locations, vast area and lack of automation, it is possible that the cages cannot be attended to timorously. With these devices in place, occupied traps/cages can be attended to immediately in order to relocate the animals more quickly and cause less discomfort to the animal.

First Things First:

Due to the remote locations connectivity presents a challenge so 2G is the only feasible option.

Ruggedness of the device is also important due to the environment it will be installed in.

Lastly, as there is no option for power close by, solar charging forms and integral part of the solution. Together with putting the device in Sleep mode as often as possible, we are hoping device battery life to reach one week before needing to be recharged.

PCB Design:

The first version features an onboard Reed Switch that will detect the status of the cage door. If inconveniently placed, there are two JST connectors that can be used to connect external Reed Switch and temperature sensor. This way we will be able to monitor the device temperature as well as ambient temperature inside the cage.

The design also features the GPS module, USB charging port, on/off switch, easy connector for Solar panel as well as the optical sensor. The optical sensor is located on the bottom layer of the PCB and will "look down" to monitor the inside of the cage for movement.

Enclosure Design:

The enclosure is not much bigger than a standard smartphone. We have designed a smaller version where solar is not required to lower cost and reduce footprint.

The enclosure is made from layers of weather- and UV resistant plexiglass. The solar panel slots securely into the ensure is and fixed in place with 4 x M2 machine screws. The enclosure has clear top layer plexiglass protecting the planet from the elements and discouraging theft.

The side of the enclosure offers easy access to the 2 JST connectors for analog sensors, on/off switch as well as USB charging port.

The bottom layer as a small cut-out covered with clear plexiglass for the optic sensor to monitor the movement in the cage.

Power Supply:

The device will be power by a 2800 mAh LiPo battery that will in turn be trickle charged by the solar panel. We will monitor the efficiency once installed, if need be we will upgrade the Lipo Battery,

The UI:

This is still to be determined by the client. At this stage I am leaning towards Blynk as it seems a mobile app might be more convenient to use in the field as apposed to online dashboard. I will update the project once we have finalised this. Alternatively, client might simply me notified via text messages.

Operation:

The device will remain in sleep modem, only waking up on the hour to post system status. Either the Reed sensor or the Optic sensor is able to wake the device and post results.

Case: If the cage is empty, device status will be posted on the hour to endure all devices are functional. Device status include:

• GPS location
• Door status
• Optics status
• Temperatures
• Battery status
• Signal strength (tbd)

Once an animal it trapped inside the cage meeting the either of following criteria:

• Optic sensor is active
• Trap door is closed

The rangers on duty are then informed. As they have the GPS locations, the matter can now be attended to immediately and no need to wait for next scheduled routine check.

**Due to the nature of the project, the code can unfortunately not be made public at this stage.