Sending a signal to stock thieves
ERNST Pretorius is being sought out by game farms and mining houses ahead of the commercial launch of his product later this year — his invention has brought hope in the war against stock theft and poaching.
The hype around Draadsitter (fence sitter) came after Pretorius, an engineer at the University of Pretoria, was named a finalist in the UK Royal Academy of Engineering’s African innovation award earlier this year.
The device is a sensor mounted to a fence that detects tampering at a distance and raises an alarm.
It could provide the relief game rangers, farmers and mining bosses seek to protect their game, livestock and equipment.
A gate-mounted version for home use has also been tested, but the product is primarily targeted at commercial players.
According to the Agricultural Research Council, losses to stock theft were estimated at R750-million in 2012, a figure the agriculture industry is desperate to bring down.
A future version of Draad- sitter will allow the fence to be monitored with a cellphone using global positioning system co-ordinates to pinpoint the location of the tampering.
“If you have all the GPS coordinates, it makes it possible to use drones,” Pretorius, 43, said this week.
Drones can be fitted with cameras and used to monitor livestock and wildlife. If something happens on the fence, one can be flown to the target to inspect the damage.
“Then you can see precisely what happens without putting your life in danger,” he said.
The device can withstand extreme temperatures, thunder and lightning, and is fitted with batteries that last up to three years. A thermometer warns of fires.
Up to 9 999 units can be connected in a network currently, but this can be stretched to 65 000, according to Pretorius.
This week, he was putting the final touches to the revamped prototype, which he will present in the UK in two weeks alongside other finalists from Africa ahead of the award ceremony in Cape Town next month.
The product, which was trialled encased in a plastic shell with a built-in antenna, now features an aluminium casing imported from Germany that cancels out anything that could interfere with the signal.
It will be manufactured locally and, initially, could cost R6 600 per unit. However, costs may be defrayed over time if production volumes increase.
Pretorius intends to commercialise Draadsitter in the next few months.
The product has been patented in South Africa and there are plans to register patents in the rest of Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the US, Brazil, Argentina and Europe.
“Then we [will have] captured a big enough market that will make it difficult for any competitors,” Pretorius said.
Royal Academy of Engineering contestants are competing for a £25 000 (about R460 000) grand prize. Runners-up will get £10 000.
The Africa Prize is supported by the Shell Centenary Scholarship Fund, Consolidated Contractors Company, ConocoPhillips and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.