Hi everyone,

I am currently working on reducing the false-positive detection rates by investigating other machine vision algorithms and training methods/image processing. I'm also studying deep-learning approaches to detection. And integrating auditory for a multi-modal approach to detection.

As concerns actuators: besides the the audio repelling using tiger and bee sounds, I am investigating using mechanical actuators in form of pneumatic weapons to fire chilli balls into the path of crop-raiding elephants. Obviously the mention of a weapon is off-putting, but these would not harm elephants, and taking human-elephant contact out of the situation entirely would be really risk-reducing to both species.

chilli pepper weapons inspired by ideas from the gearbox.co.ke makerspace

I'm also looking at how I could integrate poacher detection into the system. And steps we need to take to eliminate risk of this system being misused by poachers themselves (see: https://twitter.com/4nks/status/821056854558183424 )