Wildfire early detection device wins UK Dyson Award

According to the World Resources Institute, forest fires are becoming more widespread, burning at least twice as much tree cover today as they did two decades ago.

However, conventional solutions to mitigate against wildfires require prohibitive amounts of time, money, and labour to install and maintain.

Having witnessed the effects of wildfire in his home country of Brazil, Richard Alexandre set about developing the PyriPod, a bio-inspired and bio-based early wildfire detection system for remote and low-cost widespread coverage. The heat from nascent wildfires activate Pyri’s novel organic electronics which emit a radio frequency signal to alert vulnerable communities.

The device is said to be easy to install, requires zero maintenance, does not need skilled training to operate and is affordable.

The patent-pending device has been developed by Team Pyri, which is made up of Alexandre, head of strategy; Karina Gunadi, head of product; Blake Goodwyn, head of engineering; and Tanghao Yu, head of industrial design.

Gunadi explained that when a wildfire starts, a melting trigger inside the PyriPod creates power for a signalling circuit paired with an antenna made from a novel charcoal composite, sending a distinct RF signal to existing communication towers or dedicated receivers. 

Pyri is made from materials found in nature, but the specific combination of nature-derived materials is still under development.

“They primarily consist of composites from compounds commonly found in forested areas,” said Gunadi. “From the outset, we questioned whether conventional electronics were necessary to detect early-stage wildfires. By reducing the PyriPod’s functions to the essentials, we made it possible to use more naturally sourced materials.”

Gunadi continued: “To hint at some of the materials used…wax is the melting trigger that removes the need for a traditional sensor and charcoal is both in the power source and in a composite with other binders for the antenna. These materials were chosen for their abundance, effectiveness, and non-toxicity to the environment.”

As PyriPods are triggered by heat their activation depends on the fire’s unique characteristics.

“We found that heat levels vary based on factors like fuel type and fire maturity, but certain temperature thresholds unique to wildfires are consistently detectable in forested areas,” said Goodwyn. “We designed the heat-trigger to be sensitive to these lower wildfire temperatures, enabling the pod to activate while still maintaining a safe distance from the approaching fire.”

In use, each application will require a custom density of PyriPods to guarantee effective cover, rather than a fixed number of devices per acre.

“Strategic placement of the pods will be key to ensuring cost-effective coverage,” said Gunadi. “Due to the use of abundant and inexpensive biomaterials, the cost/area covered will be significantly cheaper than our competitors.”

Winning the national leg of the James Dyson Award will inject £5,000 into Pyri. Pyri will now progress to the international stage of the competition. The James Dyson Award international top 20 shortlist will be announced on 16th October, and the international winners on 13th November.