27 March 2020

Our LiDAR sensors are helping to protect endangered elephants in Kenya

Mount Kenya is the second largest mountain in Africa, and the UNESCO listed National Park was established to protect the mountain and surrounding areas to provide refuge for a vast array of wildlife including a large population of elephants, estimated at around 2,500.

Despite the numbers, the animals are under constant threat from poachers. The changing geography of the region, and the proliferation of agricultural farms, which has also resulted in increased incidences of human-elephant conflict, with the Elephants causing damage to the fencing and property that surround these farms when trying to re-enter the park.

Instarect Limited, a security fencing solutions provider based in Nairobi, was asked by Mount Kenya Trust to design and install a new access control system within the three elephant corridors. Our intelligent RLS-2020 LiDAR sensors were selected as an integral part of the project. Using our sensor, elephants are detected as they approach, and a solar-powered gate automatically opens for them letting them into the park. As the size of the object detected can be customised within the settings, the RLS-2020 have been configure to only detect elephants. Humans and smaller animals will be ignored, and the gates will remain closed.

When the elephants trigger a gate to be opened, authorised park rangers are immediately notified via an SMS and are then able to view the CCTV cameras on their phone to check all of the elephants have re-entered the park safely. The rangers then send an SMS to close the gate.

Ebrahim Nyali, Security Solutions Designer at Instarect Limited, says the new system is working well: “The elephants are very intelligent and have quickly adapted to these new gates. They have learned to wait for the gates to open for them to re-enter the park and do not try to enter with force.”

We are pleased and proud to have worked with Instarect on this fantastic project which helps to protect elephants and reduce wildlife conflict in the beautiful Mont Kenya National Park.

Our vehicle sensor recognised by SICUR’s Innovation Gallery

The Innovation Gallery is an initiative promoted by the leading Spanish Security event, SICUR, that recognises businesses who have demonstrated true innovation and made a significant contribution to technological development in their sector. We feature among the top 14 winners in the Security category by a panel of industry experts for our innovative ViiK radar-based vehicle sensors, model OVS-GT.

Our OVS-01GT sensor utilises multiple modes of radar technology, namely doppler shift recognition and Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) recognition, and features a smart algorithm that is able to filter out detection of human beings.

Put aside its technical features, what is most innovative about this product is its potential to change practices of vehicle detection for several industries. Where ground loop installation involves civil engineering work, heavy machinery, closing up lanes which can lead to restricting vehicle access during business time or to a more expensive night work etc; the installation of a ViiK sensor can be done in less than an hour with no digging and no lane closure. It makes the lives of installers and customers alike far easier.

Viik Sensors also provides an ideal solution to detect vehicles where a buried device will not be possible, for instance when the road surface is damaged or unsealed, paved with cobblestones or above drains and pipes. It can also be used as an easy and quick retrofit when an induction loop doesn’t work anymore as it avoids the inconvenience of having to conduct any civil engineering work.

Tech tip: Installing a curtain sensor

Curtain sensors provide a thin and narrow detection area along the boundary of a building or premises to raise the alarm if anyone has intruded this boundary. We offer three different series of curtain sensors:

  • The FTN series. A very compact single sided PIR for 2-5m range
  • The BX-80 series. A double sided PIR with a maximum range of 12m on each side
  • The BXS series. A sleek looking and versatile double sided PIR with a range 12m on each side

Detection principle and pet tolerance

All the sensors are using the principle of dual passive infrared detection, so called “AND logic”, an upper and a lower detection zones need to be activated simultaneously for the alarm to be triggered. This enables a reliable detection stability and small animal tolerance, as medium sized pets will only trigger the lower beam.

Mounting height

The BX-80 and BXS are designed to be mounted on a wall, or pole (using a specific mounting bracket/ plate) and should be between 0.8-1.2m from the ground.

The FTN series is designed to be mounted on a wall, or pole at 0.8-1.2m height but can also be mounted in a window frame. In the latter case, it is recommended to mount the sensor at the mid-height of the frame.

Please ensure the sensor is not tilted to the left or right to maintain the detection beams parallel to the wall. Any tilt might compromise the detection reliability.

Can the curtain sensors be mounted at a higher storey?

The BX-80 and BXS can only be mounted 0.8-1.2m above the ground. If there is no balcony along the detection area, the sensors cannot be used to protect higher storeys.

As the FTN sensor fits within a window frame, it can be used to protect windows on higher storey

Adjusting the detection range

As for any PIR motion sensor it is important to avoid any overspill of the detection area which could be a cause of a nuisance alarm.

For the FTN:

  • The FTN detection range can be set at 5 m (factory settings) or 2 m. For a 2 m range, the lens needs to be rotated by 180 degrees.

For the BX-80:

  • The detection range for the BX-80 series can be mechanically adjusted on each side to be set at 12 m, 8 m, 5 m or 2 m by sliding the lower lens. It is recommended to validate the newly set detection range by conducting a walk test
  • For the BXS series:
  • The adjustment of the left or right detection range is made very easy by selecting the setting on the sensor: 12 m, 8.5 m, 6 m, 3.5 m and 2.5 m. A walk test will validate the new settings

Adjusting the lens away from the wall

If there are relatively thin features on the wall that might partially block the detection pattern of the curtain sensor such as shutters for instance, it is recommended to adjust the detection area away from the wall by 3 degrees.

  • For the FTN, adjust the main unit to offset its angle away from the wall.
  • For the BX-80, manually adjust both the upper and lower lens (make sure both lenses are adjusted)
  • For the BXS series, simply flick the ‘to the Wall’ degree button

If there is a large obstacle along the wall such as a gutter, it would be best to either mount the sensor on either side of the gutter or on the pole parallel to the wall. It is important to check it doesn’t leave a blind spot for intruders.

ProductRangeAdjustable selection rangeType of range selectionAntimasking modelsWired / Wireless
BX-80N12m +12m
YesManual lens adjustment
Nowired/wireless
FTN2 - 5 mYesManual lens adjustment
Yes (AM models)
wired/wireless
BXS12m+12mYesAdjustment settings switch
Yes (AM models)
wired/wireless

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