Aroma
2024
Reducing human-wildlife conflict
AROMA is the first automated elephant deterrent to focus on smell. It assists rural farmers whose livelihoods are at risk from destruction by elephants, whilst ensuring the elephants remain safe, protected and free from harm. Designed to be used in conjunction with the very successful beehive fences created by the Elephants and Bees project, AROMA is to be used when the beehives temporarily or permanently fail due to extreme weather or neglect.
Awarded the DESIRE Award from the Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London (2024)
Project Outcomes:
First working prototype including electronic circuit, sheet metal casing and mount
User research report
Technical report
CAD and production package
Project video and portfolio
Multiple live presentations and demonstrations, including on location
Working with Experts
AROMA was created alongside the support of Dr Lucy King and the entire Save the Elephants team in Voi, Kenya, as well as conservationists and real farmers in the area.
Designing for Extremes
In order to operate in the extreme conditions of rural Kenya, design and material considerations included waterproofing, insulation, temperature control and cost.
Electronics & Code
Through power and load calculations, it was decided that the system should be powered by a 12V rechargeable Lithium Ion battery and an ESP32 microcontroller (code written in Arduino micro-python)
Want to know more?
See the full user research process or prototyping folio
