Vodafone Romania has partnered non-profit start-up Rainforest Connection to launch a "smart forest" project connected to its network. The forest in Covasna County was equipped with a system for live monitoring and warnings of sounds specific to forestry operations, which help fight illegal logging. The project is part of Vodafone's mission to protect the environment and a call for solidarity to defend Romania's forests against illegal deforestation, in line with the brand's new global position, "Together We Can".
The smart forest platform implemented by Vodafone is based on the system developed by Rainforest Connection. It communicates with the Vodafone network and consists of a series of devices called "digital guardians", equipped with acoustic sensors that capture a wide range of sounds from the environment. The captured data are sent via the internet to a cloud platform equipped with artificial intelligence.
The application analyses the information received instantly and, if noises such as chainsaws or cars are detected, which could indicate possible suspicious activities, it sends instant alerts to an application installed on foresters' phones and/or to a regional or national monitoring center. The platform allows forest managers to listen live to the noise and to intervene promptly. The devices are installed in the upper segment of the trees, in a non-intrusive way, are equipped with their own solar panels for energy and are protected against bad weather. A single device has a coverage radius of 1 km and can prevent the deforestation of over 3 square kilometers of forest.
