Conservation Technologies I: Autonomous Drone for Wildlife Coexistence

CAD rendering of the skybox drone enclosure.

This semester, DIABLO capstone team, or Drone In A Box for Large-scale Optimization, is further developing a self-regulating enclosure, known as a skybox, to house, protect, and recharge a drone (pictured). The skybox features autonomous launching, precision landing, contact charging, weather monitoring, and protection against extreme weather and environmental conditions. The system is powered by renewable energy sources, such as solar and/or wind. The skybox and drone interfaces with RESOLVE’s TrailGuard AI System, an anti-poaching, camera-based security system. When triggered by the trail cam, the skybox will autonomously initiate the launch and surveillance course, but only if the current weather conditions are deemed safe for launch. Once launched, the drone will autonomously navigate to the specified coordinates of the trailcam to find the animal initially identified, send an alert to the operator, deter the predator(s) if needed, and return to the skybox, where it will be safely stored and recharged for its next mission. The DIABLO team includes MSU seniors Aleah Williams, Parker Hutchinson, Will Roffey, and Ben Mayer.