Rayong students develop AI system to protect communities from wild elephant incursions
Rayong youth win Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2024 with AI system that detects wild elephants, alerts communities, and supports local agriculture.
Wild elephant incursions have long caused damage to crops and posed safety risks to communities in several regions of Thailand, particularly in the East. In response, the “Ma Phrao” team from Kamnoetvidya Science Academy (KVIS) in Rayong Province developed an AI-powered elephant and weather alert system. The system detects wild elephants in real time, providing communities with advance warnings to enhance safety and enable coexistence.
The project won first prize in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2024 competition.
Adulvich Khajittanont, a team representative, explained that the software and devices were tested in the field, with infrared cameras installed along elephant paths on Khao Khun In, Pa Yub Nai Subdistrict, Wang Chan District, Rayong.
The AI elephant protection system includes:
- Infrared CCTV cameras placed along the boundary between communities and forest, streaming real-time video via Pocket Wi-Fi to a central processor.
- Machine learning detection using the YOLOv8 model to rapidly and accurately identify elephants in the camera frames.
- Real-time alerts sent to villagers and authorities via LINE and website, with time, location, and images to allow immediate response.
- Night-time warning signals for villagers not using mobile phones during late hours.
- Weather sensors monitoring humidity, temperature, wind speed, and CO₂ levels, helping farmers plan agricultural activities more effectively.
Following the competition, Samsung supported the implementation of the system in high-risk areas, enabling real-time alerts and helping villagers coexist safely with wild elephants. The solution also assists agricultural planning using environmental data.
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has been held since 2010, with over 2.8 million young participants from 68 countries submitting more than 400,000 ideas as of December 2024, inspiring youth to use creativity and technology for sustainable social solutions. In Thailand, the competition began in 2022.
