PoD IoT supporting animal conservation efforts

  • April 19, 2023
  • William Payne

IoT connectivity provided by Pod Group is enabling Remote Monitoring Ltd to support breeding programmes at The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. The technology is supporting conservation efforts to protect some of the most endangered species on the planet at the centre founded by wildlife conservationist Gerald Durrell.

The product, RemoteM, is being employed by Remote Monitoring, to automate the record-keeping process using multiple nodes to record temperature in different locations, transmits its readings wirelessly to a base station, and then sends the data via cellular connectivity to the cloud. As a result, RemoteM eliminates the high error rate of non-computerised monitoring processes.

The RemoteM system was initially designed to monitor the temperatures of valuable medicines during storage and transit. As veterinarians began using the system for similar purposes, it became apparent that it could be applied to other zoological applications as well.

The system’s success with veterinarians caught the attention of The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, which began using it to monitor temperatures in its breeding programme for endangered reptiles and amphibians. Now, RemoteM is also utilised through the trust to monitor shelters in the woods for small monkeys.

Pod Group’s smart SIM technology is used within RemoteM to ensure the widest possible coverage by being able to connect to multiple 2G, 3G, or 4G networks, selecting whichever is the strongest available at that moment in time. Pod Group’s API is also used to integrate with Remote Monitoring’s systems and processes for remote management and connectivity of base stations.

Temperature monitoring is crucial for many use cases and is often a regulatory requirement, with RemoteM allowing for remote monitoring with no loss of connectivity, even when products are indoors, on the move, or in hard-to-reach areas such as thick woodland, thanks to Pod Group’s global network.

Sam Colley, CEO, Pod Group, said: “We are proud to play a crucial role in ensuring accurate record-keeping in vital applications and removing the need for time-consuming manual tasks. This is a clear example of how Pod Group can help reduce the complexity of rolling out mission-critical IoT applications, providing cost-effective, reliable and future-proofed connectivity.”

Matthew Feeny, Director, Remote Monitoring Ltd, said: “A reliable network service is essential for our customers tasked with delivering valuable and, at times, life-saving products. We are excited to collaborate with Pod Group to provide this service with our RemoteM system. We look forward to developing a mutually beneficial relationship as we roll out our RemoteM system in even more applications.”