Products to Projects Second Funding Round

Below are the second round of products to projects being funded by Predator Free 2050 Limited.

Developer: Critter Solutions Ltd
Project: Low-Cost, Low-Power, Long-Life Smart Camera Monitoring System

Cost-effective, intelligent cameras for predator surveillance will be developed and commercialised, based on CritterPic® imaging technology with real-time species identification. This will help projects overcome current camera limitations, including false triggers, neophobia, and high equipment and labour costs. This development will include a user-friendly online data management interface and sees the evolution of CritterPic from a ‘solution in a box’ to a tree/post mounted device.

Project: Species-Specific Kill Traps Using CritterPic® AI Technology
Smart self-resetting kill-traps will be developed for possums, rats and stoats, utilising proven CritterPic® imaging technology with real-time species identification to prevent non-target species such as native birds from being harmed. This will enable predator kill-trapping to be more effective in farmland and urban areas, and regions where non-targets (e.g. kea) are a key concern.

For more information on these projects contact Critter Solutions (info@crittersolutions.co.nz).

Developer: Encounter Solutions
Project: Smart Live Capture Network Solutions

Celium wireless sensor networks are already widely used to monitor cage traps. This project will deliver new integrated locking solutions to enable traps to be automatically locked on a schedule or via remote command. Scheduling will allow daylight captures of non-target species to be reduced, while remote locking will assist when personnel are unable to physically visit traps due to illness, poor weather, or site access issues. Existing network hardware and software solutions will also be upgraded and commercialised.

Project: Project: Landscape Scale Wireless Trap Monitoring Best Practice

A Learning Management System (LMS) will be developed to deliver best practice guidance on remote monitoring systems for trapping programmes. This freely-available system-agnostic resource will provide information on how these systems work, their suitability for different landscapes, the constraints of the technology, and how best to use remote monitoring in the different phases of eradication. The LMS will also deliver specific information and support for Celium wireless sensor networks.

For more information on these projects contact Simon Croft (info@encounter.nz).

Developer: Envico Technologies
Project: The Rat Spitfire

The Rat Spitfire is an automated, long-life, kill device being designed specifically to target rats, that can be left unattended for 1 year and is capable of killing ~100 rats between refills. Sensors will ensure that only rats receive an individually-targeted measure of toxin, sprayed on the abdomen and subsequently ingested through grooming. The device has an automatic lure system, an electronic trigger counter, and bluetooth connectivity for long-term use. Thereby the Rat Spitfire greatly reduces labour time and costs compared with traditional traps and bait stations. With its innovative design, it maximises efficacy and interaction rates for rats whilst reducing risk to non-target species.

For more information on this project contact Phil Elton (philip.elton@ectech.co.nz).

Developer: eTrapper
Project: Baitsense

This project will bring to market a low-cost multi-purpose sensor that reports on the volume of bait within a bait station. Data is supplied from the device through wireless communications to a dashboard that maps the fill levels of bait stations in near real-time. This reporting will not only allow operators to increase efficiency through timely servicing decisions, but the predator activity monitoring enabled will also tactically guide efforts to achieve eradication within project areas.

For more information on this project contact Iain Hook (Iain.hook@etrapper.co.nz).

Developer: Ground Truth
Project: Planning and Implementation Functions for Landscape-Scale Eradication Projects

The online service Trap.NZ is used widely for the recording and reporting of predator control operations throughout New Zealand. This project will add a new ‘deployment’ module to this service that will support the initial setting-up of new predator eradication projects. Mapping functions will greatly reduce the work required for planning and remove the need for specialist software and skills. Recording functions will help keep track of landowner permissions and device installation.

Project: Open Sensor Software Service for Trap.NZ

Remote sensing technology is becoming invaluable to New Zealand’s predator-free initiative. However, while the hardware cost is getting cheaper, in many cases the data transmission costs are not. This project will provide one solution to this issue, by providing an open software service that allows sensor devices to communicate directly with the online Trap.NZ trapping database via off-the-shelf gateway devices, rather than needing to go through subscription based communication services.

For more information contact Daniel Bar-Even (daniel.bar-even@groundtruth.co.nz).

Developer:The Cacophony Project
Project: Intelligent Trap V2

Predator Free 2050 Ltd has previously co-funded development of a high catch-rate trap that makes catching the last hard to get predators less expensive and more scalable. This project will accelerate the evolution of that trap, providing support for the commercial availability of a new version that incorporates (i) automation to enable multiple catches a night; (ii) an intelligent trigger to minimise the risk of any by-catch; and (iii) automated killing to remove the need for daily human servicing.

For more information on this project contact Matthew Hellicar (matthew@cacophony.org.nz).

Developer: Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP)
Project: ZIP Tranche 2 Products to Projects

ZIP is conducting operational research to help the PF2050 landscape project ‘Predator Free South Westland’ achieve its elimination goals. This funding supports availability of the tools and approaches being developed for other projects to utilise: (i) a ‘SWARM-Driven Remote Reporting System’; (ii) a ‘Wildlife-friendly bait-station’; (iii) registration and guide for use of ‘Toxin-Laced Rodents; (iv) an operational guide for aspects of the ‘1080 to Zero’ approach; and (v) the ‘ZIPinn Trap Mk2’.

For more information on this project contact Phil Bell (phil@zip.org.nz).

Developer: Korehāhā Whakahau
Project: Contextualising Pest Eradication Practice Using Traditional Indigenous Knowledge

The Korehāhā Whakahau project, administered by post-settlement governance entity Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa, is Predator Free 2050 Limited’s first iwi-led landscape project and is a year into its possum eradication mission. Under Products to Projects funding Korehāhā Whakahau has launched a research project to prove that local knowledge coupled with the latest innovations in technology is best practice when it comes to pest eradication.

Initially, the research will enable Korehāhā Whakahau to measure the well-being of the taiao according to the cultural and environmental values of Ngāti Awa. The next step will be to develop written and audio-visual resources, to share the learnings as a roadmap for other Predator Free 2050 projects and organisations.

For more information on this project contact Karla Akuhata (Karla.Akuhata@ngatiawa.iwi.nz).