Audifence
An outdoor tool that deterrs unwanted wildlife from your campsite safely.
An outdoor tool that deterrs unwanted wildlife from your campsite safely.
We were given a project to create a camping tool that improves a camper's experience. I chose to design a device that can keep wild animals at bay without harming them, creating a safer experience for both the camper and their surrounding environment.
My idea is too create a device that can be set up around a campsite to ward off wildlife that might dig through your food and luggage items. The technology used will be similar to a dog whistle; an unpleasant noise that activates when it detects movement, but doesn't affect humans.
According to Yosemite National Park incident tracking, over 90% of bear incidents involve human food, poorly latched storage lockers, or unattended backpacks. In years with lower natural forage, human-wildlife conflicts spike by over 200%.
While bears receive the most media attention, National Park Service studies show that small mammals (rodents, raccoons, ground squirrels) account for the largest total volume of campsite conflicts. At sites like Bryce Canyon, golden-mantled ground squirrels were involved in up to 48% of recorded visitor interactions.
Deterrence already exists in the form of guns and sprays, but those are active tools that require human attention and use. Firearms stopped aggressive encounters only 67% to 76% of the time, and callers carrying firearms suffered an injury rate of 28% due to difficulty aiming under duress.
Ultra and infra sound can be used without affecting humans while having an effect on other animals. Humans have a specific range of hearing and most if not all other animals of note you may encounter in the wild have either a higher or lower hearing range than humans.
The target user of this product is a person with a passion for camping either alone or with friends. The user will likely be in the 20-50 age range and have disposable income to spend on camping trips and equipment.
