Fire-detecting "Pinecone"
Sep. 12th, 2024 10:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithStudents win Dyson award for wildfire-detecting 'pinecone' device
The device was intentionally modeled after serotinous pinecones, from trees in wildfire-prone areas known for this adaptation. Similar to how a tree might release its pinecones as a biological response to fire, Pyri works when it’s exposed to high temperatures.
The device — only a bit larger than the palm of one’s hand — is made of wax and charcoal. When a wildfire occurs, the heat melts Pyri’s wax shell and releases a saltwater, electrolyte-rich solution.
From there, the solution activates the internal electronics of the device, which sets off radio frequencies to nearby communities. A radio signal can be picked up by communication located tens of kilometers away.
Without needing expensive cameras, sensors, or satellites, Pyri uses minimal amounts of metal and prioritizes abundant and non-toxic materials. If the device is never activated, it can simply exist in the natural environment as a harmless and non-obtrusive object.
This thing is just brilliant. From the biomimicry to the use of sustainable components to the sheer elegance, it's a work of scientific art. I'd say it's a gizmo, or possibly a super-gizmo, based on the level of genius required to make something that simple, effective, and useful.
So, now we need to make about a billion of these ...
*sigh* Then I remember that Canada, Australia, and the United States of America have already effectively lost control of large parts of their territory when it comes to coping with wildfires. The governments would have to devote a lot more money and resources to firefighting to make more control feasible.
On the other hoof, this device might help detect fires earlier, and thus, at a point when they could still be contained effectively and cheaply enough for people to do it.
On the third hoof, we don't necessarily have to rely on the government. If this product became commercially available, landowners, park supervisors, towns, etc. could buy some themselves and install a wildfire alarm system. Also, it's an easy thing to crowdfund: you put on your donations page that you need XXX of the things which will cost $YY each, and invite folks to sponsor one or more. It would give people a concrete and effective way to fight climate change personally (since forests soak up carbon and wildfires release it). Those approaches seem a lot more likely to work. They're personally invested in not, you know, having their own place burn to the ground. The politicians care fuckall about it, the problem's not usually threatening them.
It's always good to have more tools in the box, and this is a beauty.
The device was intentionally modeled after serotinous pinecones, from trees in wildfire-prone areas known for this adaptation. Similar to how a tree might release its pinecones as a biological response to fire, Pyri works when it’s exposed to high temperatures.
The device — only a bit larger than the palm of one’s hand — is made of wax and charcoal. When a wildfire occurs, the heat melts Pyri’s wax shell and releases a saltwater, electrolyte-rich solution.
From there, the solution activates the internal electronics of the device, which sets off radio frequencies to nearby communities. A radio signal can be picked up by communication located tens of kilometers away.
Without needing expensive cameras, sensors, or satellites, Pyri uses minimal amounts of metal and prioritizes abundant and non-toxic materials. If the device is never activated, it can simply exist in the natural environment as a harmless and non-obtrusive object.
This thing is just brilliant. From the biomimicry to the use of sustainable components to the sheer elegance, it's a work of scientific art. I'd say it's a gizmo, or possibly a super-gizmo, based on the level of genius required to make something that simple, effective, and useful.
So, now we need to make about a billion of these ...
*sigh* Then I remember that Canada, Australia, and the United States of America have already effectively lost control of large parts of their territory when it comes to coping with wildfires. The governments would have to devote a lot more money and resources to firefighting to make more control feasible.
On the other hoof, this device might help detect fires earlier, and thus, at a point when they could still be contained effectively and cheaply enough for people to do it.
On the third hoof, we don't necessarily have to rely on the government. If this product became commercially available, landowners, park supervisors, towns, etc. could buy some themselves and install a wildfire alarm system. Also, it's an easy thing to crowdfund: you put on your donations page that you need XXX of the things which will cost $YY each, and invite folks to sponsor one or more. It would give people a concrete and effective way to fight climate change personally (since forests soak up carbon and wildfires release it). Those approaches seem a lot more likely to work. They're personally invested in not, you know, having their own place burn to the ground. The politicians care fuckall about it, the problem's not usually threatening them.
It's always good to have more tools in the box, and this is a beauty.
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Date: 2024-09-13 03:34 pm (UTC)Sulky in SoCal
Date: 2024-09-13 04:47 pm (UTC)Re: Sulky in SoCal
Date: 2024-09-13 08:16 pm (UTC)