Hitachi Vantara and Rainforest Connection Analyze Tree Top Eco-Acoustic Data to Predict and Prevent Illegal Logging

New Predictive Analytics Capabilities Will Provide Forest Rangers With Up to Five Days Advance Warning of Illegal Logging to Help Protect Trees and Animals

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Hitachi Vantara Corporation

Dec 17, 2020, 09:00 ET

SANTA CLARA and SAN FRANCISCO Calif., Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hitachi Vantara, the digital infrastructure and solutions subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), and Rainforest Connection, the non-profit that uses real-time data to enable partners to stop deforestation and poaching, have developed a unique solution that uses eco-acoustic data to predict illegal logging in the world's rainforests.

Every two seconds^[1], an area of rainforest the size of a football field is destroyed, causing the extinction of hundreds of animal and plant species every year, contributing to droughts, and threatening indigenous reserves across multiple continents. Deforestation accounts for 10%^[2] of all worldwide carbon emissions, making it a massive contributor to global warming, with up to 90%^[3] of deforestation attributed to illegal logging.

Rainforest Connection builds devices called 'Guardians' that are installed high in the rainforest canopy to collect acoustic data from the rainforest. The company detects chainsaw events in real-time and sends rangers an audio file to review, verify and reference to arrange to go on site. This entire process can take up to 14 days and in some cases trees are lost by the time rangers arrive.

Hitachi Vantara has created a new solution to help predict illegal rainforest activity and shorten rangers' time to site. Using the company's Lumada data analytics technology, Hitachi Vantara built algorithms that create a baseline of rainforest sounds. This bio-acoustic signature then simplifies and accelerates the process of identifying acoustic anomalies. For example, before starting a chainsaw, loggers will typically scout appropriate locations in advance. Their presence causes a change in species' acoustic signatures and signals a disruption to the environment. Hitachi Vantara's solution detects these advance warnings and alerts rangers in real-time. Rangers use this technology get up to five days lead time to arrive on site. This head start gives rangers valuable time to pre-position themselves and prevent even more deforestation than they can today.

With both companies sharing common ideals of social responsibility to the environment, Hitachi Vantara and Rainforest Connection established a partnership in 2019. At Hitachi's conference, NEXT 2019, Hitachi Vantara announced the partnership and donated $250,000 in cash and in-kind services to Rainforest Connection to support its mission. Hitachi Vantara and Rainforest Connection have since worked together to co-create and design the bio-acoustic solution. The solution is now live in Sumatra, where over 70% of all deforestation is illegal^[4]. The solution is scheduled to rollout to the entire network of Rainforest Connection guardians, located in over 11 countries, in 2021.

"The projects with Hitachi Vantara are game-changing for Rainforest Connection," said Topher White, CEO, Rainforest Connection. "We'll be able to scale up our operations and provide rangers with greater certainty around when logging events are likely to happen."

"The rainforest of Sumatra and Silicon Valley may be separated by thousands of miles, but data is the bridge between us, and has to be the foundation for solving some of our planet's biggest challenges," said Gajen Kandiah, Chief Executive Officer, Hitachi Vantara. "At Hitachi, we believe in the power of data to benefit both business and society. We are immensely proud to partner with Rainforest Connection to make a meaningful difference in the fight against climate change."

¹https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/effects-of/deforestation
² https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/articles/relationship-between-deforestation-climate-change
³ https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/forests_practice/deforestation_causes2/illegal_logging/? ⁴ https://archive.is/20130414200511/http://www.foei.org/en/resources/publications/miscellaneous/clashes/indonesiatrees.html

Resources

Multimedia: Download here
Blog post by Joshua Siegel, Leader Digital Co-Creation Services, Hitachi Vantara: How Saving the Rainforest Can Also Save Global Industry
Watch HVTV: Bio-Acoustics and AI Help Save Rainforests
Case Study: Rainforest Connection Helps Prevent Illegal Deforestation with Hitachi Vantara Partnership
Infographic: View and download here

Connect with Hitachi Vantara

About Rainforest Connection
Rainforest Connection (RFCx) has created the world's first scalable, real-time monitoring system for protecting and studying remote ecosystems. Unlike visual based tracking systems (such as drones or satellites), the RFCx approach relies on acoustic sensors (RFCx Guardians) that will monitor the ecosystem soundscape at selected locations 365 days a year. With over six years of experience operating in rainforests around the world, RFCx technology acts as a force multiplier which does much of the monitoring and analysis work for a fraction of the cost. RFCx technology is advancing through a comprehensive biodiversity monitoring program that allows the local partners to measure progress of wildlife restoration and recovery through principles of adaptive management. The audio recordings being collected from online RFCx Guardiandetect and analyze everything from illegal activities to primates, birds, frogs, insects, bats, and countless other groups of organisms. Acoustic data is extremely rich in information about the makeup of an ecosystem. The RFCx monitoring platform has the capacity to create CNN models for analysis.

About Hitachi Vantara
Hitachi Vantara, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., guides our customers from what's now to what's next by solving their digital challenges. Working alongside each customer, we apply our unmatched industrial and digital capabilities to their data and applications to benefit both business and society. More than 80% of the Fortune 100 trust Hitachi Vantara to help them develop new revenue streams, unlock competitive advantages, lower costs, enhance customer experiences, and deliver social and environmental value. Visit us at www.hitachivantara.com.

About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is focused on its Social Innovation Business that combines information technology (IT), operational technology (OT) and products. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2019 (ended March 31, 2020) totaled 8,767.2 billion yen ($80.4 billion), and it employed approximately 301,000 people worldwide. Hitachi drives digital innovation across five sectors - Mobility, Smart Life, Industry, Energy and IT - through Lumada, Hitachi's advanced digital solutions, services, and technologies for turning data into insights to drive digital innovation. Its purpose is to deliver solutions that increase social, environmental and economic value for its customers. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com.

HITACHI is a trademark or registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. All other trademarks, service marks, and company names are properties of their respective owners.

SOURCE Hitachi Vantara Corporation