ScannerEdge

Passive radio-frequency detection that warns rangers about people in places they shouldn't be.

The problem

Rangers patrol vast protected areas where poachers move silently and at night. Cameras and motion sensors miss covert activity, drones can be heard, and patrols can't be everywhere at once. Early warning is the difference between responding from a safe distance and stumbling into an active incident.

What it does

ScannerEdge is a passive human-presence detection system designed for anti-poaching and conservation operations. Instead of cameras or motion sensors that can miss covert activity, it listens for the radio-frequency signals that mobile phones, satellite phones and VHF radios unavoidably emit.

When the unit picks up a signal, it sends an alert to rangers — often hours before a poacher would otherwise be detected. Because it never decodes the signal or collects personal data, it works within the bounds of privacy regulations.

How ScannerEdge detects human presence in the field

Why we built it

ScannerEdge was developed because traditional monitoring tools weren’t enough. Cameras only see what’s in front of them. Motion sensors trigger on every animal that walks past. Drones can be heard and don’t run all night.

Rangers we work with are taking real risks to walk patrol routes where something might be going on. They need something that can quietly listen, all day, for the one signal that actually matters — and tell them about it without giving anything away.

ScannerEdge is part of Hack The Planet’s mission to deliver practical, field-proven technology that supports conservation where it matters most — on the ground.

Field-built capabilities

ScannerEdge runs unattended for months in remote, demanding environments — quietly listening and giving rangers the information they actually need.

Passive RF detection

Listens for signals from mobile phones, satellite phones and VHF radios.

Long-range coverage

Detects activity within a ±1 km radius, varying with terrain and vegetation.

Real-time alerts

Pushes notifications to rangers the moment activity is picked up — they choose when and how to respond.

Solar-ready, low-power

Optimized for off-grid deployment with minimal maintenance. Months of unattended operation.

Remote management

Configure, tune and monitor every unit from a phone or browser. No need to visit the device.

Rugged enclosure

Built for heat, dust, rain and curious wildlife. Tested in southern African parks since 2018.

Satellite & LoRaWAN backhaul

Works where cellular doesn't. Backhaul over LoRaWAN local network or Iridium satellite.

Field-proven

Refined across multiple ranger deployments — not designed in a lab.

Why ScannerEdge

There are plenty of camera traps and motion sensors. Here's why ScannerEdge is different.

01

Detects illegal human activity at long range

Every poacher's phone, VHF radio or sat-phone emits radio signals — even when not in use. ScannerEdge listens for those signals from up to ±1 km away, warning rangers about people in protected zones hours before cameras or patrols would otherwise notice.

02

Privacy-respecting by design

We never decode signals or collect personal data. Just detect that a device is present, and tell the rangers.

03

Six seasons of active deployment

Running in real anti-poaching operations across southern Africa since 2019 — through dust, heat and the occasional curious elephant. Every season surfaces something new; the next firmware revision absorbs it.

What you can use ScannerEdge for

Built for places where illegal activity is a risk — and for the teams that need to know early.

Anti-poaching ranger alerts

Pre-position units along corridors poachers use; rangers get an alert long before tracks or shots would give them away.

Monitoring restricted zones

Nature reserves, no-entry zones and research sites — keep eyes on them without intruding on the landscape.

Illegal logging & timber theft

Detect the work crews carrying phones into otherwise empty forest concessions, often the first sign an operation has moved in.

Wildlife-trafficking interdiction

Pair with park-edge deployments to flag movement along known smuggling corridors and hand-off points.

Phone-free area enforcement

Detect unauthorized phone use in places where they aren't allowed.

Got a use case we haven't listed? Tell us where you'd point ScannerEdge — we love new applications.
Get in touch →

Want to deploy ScannerEdge in your park?

We work with rangers, NGOs and protected-area managers. Tell us about your situation — we'll see if ScannerEdge is the right fit.