TEKEVER UAS-based wildlife protection system for endangered species

The TEKEVER Group (http://airray.tekever.com) is creating a UAS-based wildlife protection system to monitor endangered species and perform anti-poaching operations combining the usage of the AR3 Net Ray and AR4 Light Ray fixed wing UAS.

“UAS can be of great service to protect wildlife. Many of the systems that are currently in use rely on GSM or other communication technologies that are, in many cases, unavailable in the regions these animals are on” said Ricardo Mendes, TEKEVER COO. “We’re integrating different types of communication systems onboard our UAS to detect the signals emitted by animal markers, and fusing that data with EO/IR image retrieved by other onboard sensors. This will allow nature protection forces to keep track of the animals and react rapidly if they’re in danger of injured in a no-GSM area”.

TEKEVER is integrating this technology into its AR4 Light Ray and AR3 Net Ray systems, allowing for different mission configurations. The AR4, with its fast-deploy capability, 2h endurance and 20Km range provides the force with a perfect detection and tracking solution for localized, fast intervention missions; whereas the AR3, with a 10h endurance and 80Km range, can provide a global overview of wildlife locations in a large region.

“This technology is an essential contribution for the detection of emergency situations and prevention of animal losses. Endangered wildlife no longer needs to be at the tipping point of extinction – we can help to prevent it”, added Mendes.

TEKEVER’s knowledge in nature and wildlife scenarios is becoming recognized. TEKEVER has an ongoing Nature Protection program, that combines UAS and other innovative technologies to support nature and wildlife protection efforts, fire prevention, endangered species protection, and search and rescue missions in remote areas.

“We are working on the field with security forces such as the Portuguese National Guard. And we believe that, with this new animal detection capability, TEKEVER UAS can now support new types of nature protection missions, allowing “green forces” to enhance their capability and increase their effectiveness”, concluded Mendes.