Covert Vine-Mimic Camera Housing for Wildlife Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional camera traps are large, expensive, and ineffective in monitoring areas where conflict between humans and animals occurs due to their visibility, short battery life, and reliance on cellular networks, which are often unreliable in remote areas, making them difficult to use for real-time alerting and poaching prevention.
Innovation Solution
A compact, covert camera system with a housing designed to mimic a vine, equipped with a motion detector, image recognition software, and a transmission unit that uses alternative data transmission technologies like LoRa, allowing for near-real-time image capture and alerting without frequent battery replacements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional camera traps are used, then image capture function is provided, but the device size is large and visibility is high making covert monitoring difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with non-uniform dimensions where the length from top to bottom is greater than the width or depth, creating an asymmetric shape that mimics natural vine structures. This local variation in dimensions allows the device to blend into the environment while maintaining all necessary internal components for covert monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing and cables are colored and textured to match the surrounding vegetation, specifically designed to resemble vines and plant stems. This color and texture matching enables the device to remain visually indistinguishable from natural elements in the environment.
2Duration of action of moving object
If conventional camera traps are used, then image capture is enabled, but battery life is short requiring frequent replacements
Solution Approach 1:
The power system is segmented into a rechargeable battery integrated within the housing and a separate solar panel that can be positioned independently on nearby surfaces. This segmentation allows the solar panel to recharge the battery in situ without requiring device removal or manual intervention, extending operational duration while minimizing maintenance effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The solar panel automatically recharges the battery by capturing sunlight and converting it to electrical energy stored in the rechargeable battery. This self-charging mechanism eliminates the need for frequent manual battery replacements and reduces maintenance frequency while ensuring continuous operation.
3Reliability
If conventional camera traps are used, then image capture function is provided, but reliance on cellular networks makes real-time alerting unreliable in remote areas
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission unit is designed with multi-functionality to support multiple communication protocols including cellular networks, satellite communication, and long-range radio frequency transmission. This universal compatibility allows the device to automatically select the most reliable available network, ensuring dependable real-time alerting in remote areas regardless of cellular coverage availability.
4Volume of moving object
If the device is made compact and covert, then detection difficulty increases, but cable management and component integration become more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit board is nested within the housing along with other components, and the cables are routed through integrated channels within the housing structure. The transmission unit cable and power cable are managed through dedicated pathways that extend through the housing walls, keeping all connections compact and organized within the small form factor while maintaining covert appearance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides long battery life and real-time data transmission, enabling effective monitoring of human-animal conflicts in remote areas without being easily detected, thus enhancing poaching prevention and reducing human-animal conflict risks.
Implementation Method 1
a motion detector disposed within the housing... the camera is configured to capture an image when motion is detected in a field of view of the motion detector
Implementation Method 2
an infrared illuminator disposed within the housing... the infrared illuminator illuminates an environment with electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the near-infrared spectrum between 850 and 950 nanometers
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for covertly monitoring an environment. In addition, solutions are provided for utilizing a camera to covertly monitor an environment by capturing images of a subject without the subject's awareness. In accordance with some embodiments, a system for capturing images is provided that comprises a device, a first cable, and a second cable. The device may comprise a housing having a top and a bottom, and a circuit board disposed within the housing. The first cable is may be connected to the circuit board and may extend through the top of the housing. The second cable may be connected to the circuit board and may extend through the bottom of the housing.