One of the major challenges farmers face today is safeguarding their farms and livestock against theft and vandalism. It is estimated that livestock theft in New Zealand costs around $120 million for the rural community every year.
Since farms are mostly remote and cover a vast land to take care of, there can be difficulties in securing these places. With farming equipment also becoming more and more expensive, most farmers now turn to technology to manage their farms and optimise their earnings. These technological advancements have also opened up new opportunities for implementing comprehensive remote security solutions tailored to the needs of such remote areas.
Higher Stakes in Modern Farming
With the growing demand for food, farmers strive to make the maximum use of their farming lands. Technologies like GPS can be employed to map and optimise a farm’s space. However, these technological systems are expensive, making them an easy target for theft. This can cause significant disruptions to a farm’s daily operations.
Remote Security to Cover Larger Areas
Farms can be vast and setting up the perimeter protection to guard them can be hard. With no or little access to power or networks, setting up a security system is another challenge. In this case, only certain parts of the farm need to be secured by modern technology while the farmer has to physically check on securing the rest of the land. This consumes a lot of time and energy.
To answer these, you need a remote system that is independent of both power and networks. These systems are durable enough to withstand harsh weather conditions and smart enough to provide accurate alarm management. They should also be able to check on their property remotely.
Consider Solar and Thermal Technologies
The solar-powered camera is not something new. This technology is applied in securing remote pipelines and monitoring festivals and other temporary outdoor events. As mentioned earlier, power management is vital here to succeed. In the case of frequent power drains, the benefits are reduced as these cameras require frequent maintenance and recharge.
Reduced Power and Bandwidth Usage
By integrating thermal technology into cameras, you can extend the battery life of your cameras. Since thermal channels use less power compared to optical channels, the battery can last for a day, based on the active features in the camera at the given time. The 80W solar panels can recharge the cameras in just six hours on a sunny day. Additionally, users can schedule ‘sleep mode’ for either thermal or optical channels to save battery life further.
These cameras can also notify you when there is an issue with network connectivity. This is needed to alert farmers to alarms and facilitate remote monitoring. If there is no connected network, the camera will use 4G technology to pass the message. Thermal technology is also crucial to optimise bandwidth usage as the thermal images need less bandwidth to transmit. Typically, the system monitors an area using the thermal sensor and only switches to the optical lens when an alert is triggered. This helps the farmer to verify the alert with a clear optical image without constantly checking bandwidth-intensive optical images.
Employing Intelligent Applications
As these cameras are coded with deep learning algorithms, they can differentiate between humans and vehicles. This reduces false alarms triggered due to wildlife and falling leaves to a larger extent. The cameras also have strobe lights and audio alarms, designed to deter intruders even before they come.
They are Weatherproof and Environmentally Friendly
The Hikvision Thermal Solar Kit is built as per IP67 standards, making it resistant to rain and dust, and suitable for outdoor use. It has a hassle-free set-up and a cost-effective installation feature with an additional junction box to keep some important cables away from vandalism and a bracket for simple pole mounting. The Kit is also environmentally friendly thanks to its low power consumption. This saves 104 kWh per year, which is equal to reducing 17 kg of CO2 emissions.
Conclusion
Farmers are now investing more in expensive technologies to manage their farms and improve their earnings. With this rising trend of modern farming, security is a threat. Integrating solar power with optical and thermal camera technology offers a sustainable security solution, even in remote fields. This allows farmers to monitor their livestock and crops without the need for lengthy patrols around their property.
