NanoDetector enables near real-time monitoring of wildlife in exceptionally remote areas, providing timely insights into animal presence, distribution, and behavior. Using an ensemble of custom-trained Artificial Intelligence models to analyze camera trap photos on-device, NanoDetector can detect and classify animal by species and transmit these observations via satellite uplink to anywhere in the world.

The fully documented hardware implementation for NanoDetector is based entirely on inexpensive commercially available components, and the software and model weights are distributed under an open-source license. With the information provided here, anyone can build, configure, and deploy one NanoDetector or a grid of NanoDetectors to support research, wildlife management, or rangeland operations.

When completed, the model and documentation will be accessible on

This tool was developed in association with the "Wildlife and Humans in Shared Landscapes" (WHISL) project. Learn more about WHISL.