CIE Components in Electronics
Gemalto has revealed that its Cinterion M2M business is providing wireless connectivity for Invisible Tracck, a new device being used in a pilot program to thwart illegal deforestation in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil. Developed by Cargo Tracck, a technology leader in Brazil, the device uses Gemalto’s Cinterion M2M technology together with local cellular networks to send location updates from sensors in trees to a central server allowing officials to remotely track trees removed from protected areas.
The Gemalto-powered Invisible Tracck solution has been deployed to detect unauthorised logging activities missed by traditional satellite surveillance and radio monitoring.
The device is smaller than a deck of cards and combines Gemalto’s Cinterion BGS2 module with cutting-edge localisation algorithms and new Radiation Exchange Data (RED) technology that extends the range of wireless communications in low signal areas.
The solution is covertly installed in trees located in active harvesting and sends alarm notifications and exact location information to officials as soon as trees pass within 20 miles of a cellular network. This enables law enforcement and the Brazilian environmental protection agency IBAMA agents to respond in real time, trace the loggers to sawmills and prevent the sale and profit from illegally harvested lumber. With the rugged durability and sophisticated power management system of Gemalto’s Cinterion M2M solution, the device can operate reliably in the field for over a year without recharging batteries.
“Gemalto’s Cinterion M2M was vital in enabling us to develop a tracking and tracing solution rugged enough to withstand the heat and moisture of the Amazon,” said Marcelo Hayashi, General Manager of Cargo Tracck. “Their M2M module is unique because it’s small for inconspicuous deployment in the field and power efficient enough to operate over long stretches of time without recharging batteries, which is crucial when tracking trees in remote areas.”
“The rainforest in Brazil is approximately the size of the United States so it’s impossible to monitor each and every acre,” added Ramzi Abdine, General Manager of Cinterion M2M at Gemalto Latin America. “The Cargo Tracck solution offers a compelling example of the power of M2M technology in overcoming unique business challenges to extend the reach of traditional tracking and tracing methods”
