Ending Illegal Deforestation Begins with Listening
Somewhere in a rainforest right now, technology from Rainforest Connection is listening, learning, and communicating ecosystem-saving information to those who need it most.
Introducing Rainforest Connection’s Guardians
Arm technology helps spark the world’s potential, and now, thanks to visionary Topher White at non-profit tech startup, Rainforest Connection, it’s even nestled in the treetops of West Sumatra, Indonesia. Topher and his team have created acoustic monitoring systems, called Guardians, that use Arm-powered CPUs and machine learning (ML) to detect illegal deforestation and poaching. These Guardians act as ears in the heart of the rainforest.
Topher and his team work with partners all over the world to ensure the longevity of these vital ecosystems. They also have created a free, scalable, open-source eco-acoustics platform aimed at helping others tap into the wealth of information that sound provides us.
The Right Solutions for the Task
The Rainforest Connection Guardians are made from upcycled cell phones and include solar panels, microphones, and Arm Cortex-A CPUs and Mali GPUs. Acoustic data from these devices is run in AI/ML models both in the cloud and on the devices themselves, adapting in real time to real-world needs. Because AI can be run at the endpoint, these Arm-powered Guardians are self-contained, energy-efficient, reliable, and adaptable.
In the near future, the new Armv9 architecture can extend the power of specialized neural net processing, supporting the Rainforest Connection mission with even more capable tools to protect rainforests - and the health of the planet.