Internet-enabled TrailGuard metal detectors snitch on poachers
By Darren Murph 
posted May 15th 2007 3:05PM
posted May 15th 2007 3:05PM
The latest anti-poaching tool may not be as completely bizarre as the Robodeer, but the TrailGuard technology coming out of Steve Gulick's laboratory is entirely more sophisticated (and stealthy, too). The system consists of a network of metal detectors buried next to forest trails which will detect the presence of a contraband machete or rifle and swing into action. Upon recognizing a potential weapon, the sensor will "send a radio signal to a nearby internet gateway and then to the internet via satellite," which will subsequently alert a ranger to the unwanted guest practically in real-time. The developing team insinuates that this product could make the rounds that rangers make a lot more efficient, and considering that most national parks are somewhat understaffed, this could help them cover the ground that they need to. So if you just so happen to wander out in the woods and pitch a tent with metal stakes, only to be approached by an armed wildlife officer, don't be too alarmed.
Does this mean I will be seeing a lot of rangers converging on me when riding my bike along trails? :(
The trees have eyes and ears!... err... metal detectors
WOW.
I love it when tech is unobtrusive and actually works in useful productive ways.
I'm mostly surprised someone hadn't thought of this before.
The military has had this stuff for decades, both ground motion sensing and metal detection networks. Hell, they've even got motion sensors on the fences.
So, its not new technology, just a new application.
Well for the understaffed parks, generally that means underpayed with low budgets... I'm not entirely sure how these parks will be able to afford something like this, not to mention fund the manpower required to lay this down throughout all of the trails (or most) in a park, which could be an absurd amount when you add it up.
And as for those metal-framed backpacks...
Cool idea though.
So how does an indiscriminate metal detector make rangers' rounds "more efficient"? Ten bucks says that for every actual poacher these things pick up, a hundred rangers will be dispatched to intercept some dude with a fishing pole - or a buck knife - or a Maglite - or some tent stakes.
Did anyone else think that was a claymore mine at first glance?
This is awesome. Imagine placing these outside a residential home that has a large yard. I'm sure owners would agree that hearing a warning signal when the potential intruder(s) first step foot on your lawn is much more advantageous than having the alarm only go off when they are already at your door. 60 seconds could easily mean the difference between life and death. ADT eat your heart out!
First, it doesn't work off sound.
Second, what good is a system that goes off everytime a car drives by, a kid rides his bike or cuts the lawn? In next to know time you would treat this just like I treat car alarms; I glance at the noise and then ignore it.
Third, what frikin war zone do you live in that you need to be aware of every person that appoaches your house, and treat them as a armed threat?
mountain bikes, thats all I'm saying.
I would imagine these will be deployed on trails that are not for mountain biking.
I am more concerned about someone with a backpacking pack. The frames of those are made out of metal.
usually aluminum which wont set off a metal detector, though these days they are being made out of carbon fiber and other ultra light wight materials more frequently.
Interesting... It's going to make for some interesting moments when climbers hike the trail to get to the crag.
Never going to work for a state or national park. OTOH, this could be cool technology to put in place around the perimeter of an airport to keep weirdos and the like from getting themselves into a position to be accused of being a terrorist.
Is anyone else reminded of a fleshlight from that picture?
Guess I'll be cancelling my elephant hunting trip.
Most of the parks with poachers (for example in Africa) are the sort of parks where no one walks about with a backpack or rides on a bike; mainly because they would be eaten by wild animals.
Poachers are the only ones that walk -illegally- in them, so this can be a good way to find them.
It's good to see technology applied to another good cause.
i like pizza and smashing snails with rocks and eating eliphant meat with a boul of camel coochie
In NOUABALÉ-NDOKI national park, in the Republic of Congo, the 14 rangers have not been able to stop illegal hunting of elephants and great apes. TrailGuard, a system of small and easily hidden electronic detection and communication devices, is not being deployed to detect poachers locations, and a command-control system will vector rangers to their locations to allow arrests to be made. In Costa Rica's Osa reserve two wildlife-preservation groups are testing similar metal-detector and satellite technology intended to curb the poaching of exotic birds and jaguars. A metal-detector-and-satellite system at a place on Isabela, the largest of the Galapagos Islands, to interdict the poaching of giant tortoises. Yet another system will soon be deployed in the Shavla Wildlife Refuge in Russia's Altai Republic to prevent poaching of snow leopards.
Source: "The trees have eyes," The Economist, June 7, 2007 (subscription required).
http://www.economist.com/printedition/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9249181
Now, imagine a simple camera were attached and takes and sends a snapshot. Then the rangers at the base could see if they look like a poacher or just a camper with tent poles.