Satellites and machine learning used to tackle poaching in Africa

Inmarsat, Intel and RESOLVE, a Washington DC based non-profit environmental and health organisation, have developed a satellite connectivity-enabled solution to help protect endangered African wildlife – TrailGuard AI.

The system uses an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered camera to detect humans in nature reserves, with 97 per cent accuracy, and instantly transmits images to park rangers’ facilities, over Inmarsat’s L-band, global, mobile satellite communications network, enabling them to identify would-be poachers and intervene. Intel played a critical role in the development of the solution, by providing engineering experience and support. TrailGuard AI uses Inmarsat’s mobile, reliable and robust BGAN terminals, which are simple to set up, connect to the units and can withstand harsh environments. The use of Inmarsat’s satellite network overcomes the lack of reliable terrestrial connectivity in most remote nature reserves.

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and National Geographic Society are partnering to fund and deploy TrailGuard AI. The first deployment of the solution, at the Singita-Grumeti reserve in Tanzania in 2018, has resulted in the arrest of around 30 poachers and the seizure of quantities of bushmeat. Having identified the 100 parks with the highest risk of poaching, RESOLVE is seeking to deploy the TrailGuard AI devices at ten ‘chokepoints’ – poacher intrusion hotspots – within each of these parks, by the end of 2020.