Connectivity solutions are packaged in several ways, with some offerings customized for mobility. These mobile solutions mainly cater to those who require connectivity in vehicles or at temporary locations.
In South Africa, anti-poaching units patrol around parks and reserves to preserve wildlife. Their operations include traveling on foot and by vehicle, while manning aerial drones. While on patrol, anti-poaching units require an ongoing network to communicate between stations and with operational drones.
Challenge
Working in parks and reserves, anti-poaching units cannot rely on fixed-line connectivity. For one of the local units, they were offered a trolley-style mobile solution. This comprised a luggage exterior with wheels, housing routers and other necessary equipment.
After discussing the efficiency of this setup, they required a mobile solution that would retain reliable connectivity while on the move, whether in the vehicle or on foot. They wanted to avoid using another set of hands on dragging the solution around, especially when on rough terrain.
Solution
LikeAbird, specializing in customized solutions, came up with a universal backpack solution with this purpose in mind – a mobile handsfree network. The BackPack Ground Control Station (BP-GCS) is designed to house a selection of equipment including a Peplink router powered by smart batteries.
While this backpack can fit most Peplink offerings, LikeAbird used a MAX BR1 Mini in this project for its compact form-factor and cost-effectiveness. To establish an unthreatened network, the BR1 Mini in the BP-GCS is connected to a FusionHub hosted by LikeAbird. And for enhanced signal reception, the backpack also features a design for antenna pole mounts.
Result
Using this mobile backpack solution, the anti-poaching unit was able to maintain a secure connection even while patrolling on foot. Even while walking through grassy areas, they retained communication with different stations and were successful in operating the drones.
Thanks to the BP-GCS’s accommodating design, users can switch between different Peplink devices and also utilize the different input ports on the backpack’s side. Its universal design has already been applied to different use cases such as providing a mobile network for disaster recovery.
Deployment
- Affordable router incorporated into the BP-GCS for cellular connectivity
- Connected to an established FusionHub to utilize SpeedFusion
- Compact form-factor to take up less space and weight in the backpack
