System for monitoring deforestation and detecting forest fires

Abstract

A system consisting of: a trunk-mounted percussion sensor array configured to detect vibration signals indicating tree felling and generate an alert with associated location data; a weathervane environmental sensor array comprising at least one temperature sensor and one humidity sensor configured to detect environmental changes indicative of a forest fire and estimate the direction of the fire based on wind direction; and a communication module configured to transmit alerts from both arrays to a remote monitoring station.

Description

AREA OF INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to environmental monitoring systems, in particular devices that combine vibration-based detection of illegal tree felling with temperature, humidity and wind measurement mounted on a weather vane for early detection of forest fires and for determining the direction of the fire, and are networked with remote monitoring stations. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Illegal logging and deforestation threaten forest ecosystems and biodiversity, thus motivating autonomous sensor solutions that can detect logging events and notify authorities in real time across large, remote areas. Previous work shows that acoustic and vibration signals from chainsaws and tree impacts can be captured using energy-efficient IoT nodes and thresholding or classification techniques, enabling rapid alerts via cellular or ISM radio. Complementing this, wireless sensor networks and local weather stations measuring temperature, humidity, wind, and gas indicators such as CO₂ are used to detect fires in their early stages and support rapid response through data fusion and machine learning.Modern weather monitoring methods integrate sensors for temperature, humidity, wind speed, and direction to understand the ignition risk and spread of fires. This makes a wind vane system effective for determining the direction and intensity of a fire on-site. Despite these advances, integrated systems that combine tree trunk vibration detection, wind vane fire indicators, and reliable communication with location metadata remain necessary to reduce false alarms and deliver accurate, location-specific alerts to remote control centers. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The invention relates to a system comprising a percussion sensor integrated into or attached to tree trunks for detecting characteristic vibration patterns indicative of felling activity, a weather vane equipped with humidity and temperature sensors (and optionally wind sensors) for recording environmental changes that may indicate a forest fire and its direction of spread, and a communication module for transmitting time-stamped and location-based alerts to a remote monitoring station. Embodiments utilize sensor fusion and threshold logic to distinguish ambient noise from felling noise and the outbreak of a fire, and employ cellular, LPWAN, or mesh communication to transmit real-time alerts with GPS coordinates for rapid intervention and response. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0004] The system comprises a trunk-mounted sensor unit with a vibration or piezoelectric percussion sensor mechanically coupled to the tree to detect axial and tangential vibrations generated by cutting tools and felling operations. Integrated signal conditioning and a microcontroller enable real-time feature extraction and decision logic at extremely low power consumption. Chainsaw activity produces characteristic acoustic and vibration signatures that can be detected using calibrated thresholds or trained models. The combination of sound and vibration improves robustness compared to using only one modality in field prototypes with Arduino controllers and GSM alerting.The wind vane unit integrates a wind vane and, optionally, an anemometer to determine wind direction, as well as temperature and humidity sensors to detect rapid temperature rises and humidity drops typical of fuel combustion and drying. These parameters have been validated in wireless fire alarm networks and fire detection devices. Environmental monitoring systems often record wind, temperature, and humidity to assess fire-prone conditions and fire direction. The wind vane unit can thus derive the likely direction of approach of a fire and relative intensity changes from gradients and wind-oriented heat signatures. A communication module (GSM / GPRS, LPWAN, or mesh) transmits alert messages with sensor type, event classification, timestamp, and precise location. This data originates from a GNSS receiver or is determined by the network topology used in forest WSN systems.The remote monitoring station aggregates alerts, visualizes locations on a map, and can perform data fusion and fire spread estimations. This is similar to the control centers in multi-sensor early warning systems, which combine local measurements with weather data to create a comprehensive situational picture. Power management utilizes primary batteries supplemented by solar charging to ensure long-term operation. This configuration has proven effective for autonomous WSN nodes designed to withstand environmental influences and wildlife disturbance. To reduce false alarms, the firmware combines trunk vibrations with contextual weather data and, if available, acoustic signals or CO / light intensity data from neighboring nodes. This employs techniques proven to improve detection reliability for both illegal logging and fire detection.The tapping detection algorithm distinguishes natural vibrations and interactions with wildlife from felling operations by recognizing patterns of amplitude, frequency spectrum, and event duration, as described in the literature on the specialized differentiation of tool signatures and felling effects using piezoelectric sensors. The system architecture supports updatable thresholds and models, secure communication, and integration into forestry operations management systems. This enables rapid intervention during tree felling operations and early fire suppression in accordance with established best practices in sensor-based forest protection.

Claims

[1] A system comprising: a trunk-mounted percussion sensor array configured to detect vibration signals indicating tree felling and generate an alert with associated location data; a weathervane environmental sensor array comprising at least a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor configured to detect environmental changes indicating a forest fire and to estimate the direction of the fire based on wind direction; and a communication module configured to transmit alerts from both arrays to a remote monitoring station. [2] System according to the preceding paragraph, wherein the knock sensor arrangement comprises a piezoelectric vibration transducer mechanically coupled to the tree trunk and a control unit configured to distinguish cutting tool patterns from ambient and wildlife vibrations by means of thresholding or pattern recognition. [3] System according to the preceding paragraph, wherein the weathervane environmental sensor arrangement further comprises a wind direction and / or wind speed sensor to deduce the direction of spread of the fire and to increase the detection thresholds based on temperature and humidity. [4] System according to the preceding paragraph, wherein the communication module uses cellular or low-power wide area networks and sends time-stamped and geospatial alerts to a monitoring station which implements multi-sensor data fusion and visualization for rapid response.