1
Elephant Early Warning System
based on a GPS/GPRS Module
with Continuous Power Supply
R W D T Indunil, K H G S Jayaneth, H M K S Marambage, J G S Nalini and N D Jayasundere
Department of Electrical and Information Engineering
Faculty of Engineering,, University of Ruhuna, Hapugala, Galle, Sri Lanka
Email: jayasundera@eie.ruh.ac.lk
Telephone: +94 91 2245766 x251, Fax: +94 91 2245762
Abstract— The mitigation of Human Elephant Conflict (HEC)
that has arisen due to deforestation for arable land and thus
encroaching on the natural habitats of elephants in the wild is
becoming increasingly important in order to safeguard human
as well as elephant life in areas where HEC’s are a regular
occurrence. Past solutions have ranged from elephant drives
(driving elephants into the confined National Parks), building
electric fences to contain the elephants within confined areas,
providing corridors for elephants to cross from one wildlife
park to another and translocation. Most of these have met with
limited success.
In this paper we describe the progress of an alternative
approach to mitigating HEC’s using new technology. Our
approach is to develop an early warning system. This is done by
mounting a Tracking Module (TM) on elephants to monitor
their movements remotely. The TM is based on GPS/GPRS
communication links and has a continuous power supply
developed using the latest PowerFilm flexible solar panels and a
rechargeable Li-Ion battery. The TM has been designed so that
the module and the solar panels can be mounted on a collar
which can be attached around the neck of the elephant The
flexibility of the thin film solar panel allows the TM to be
shaped into the collar. The TM contains novel features and its
performance has been tested extensively. Work is continuing to
test the TM in a real situation. The continuous power supply
and the preprogrammed software of the TM mean that after
installation the TM will operate independently and
“indefinitely” without manual intervention.
I. INTRODUCTION
T he mitigation of Human Elephant Conflict (HEC) is
becoming increasingly important. These HEC’s have
arisen due to deforestation for arable land thus
encroaching on the natural habitats of elephants in the wild.
The safeguarding of human as well as elephant life in the
areas where HEC’s are a regular occurrence is of paramount
importance. Past solutions to mitigating HEC’s have ranged
from elephant drives (driving elephants into the confined
National Parks), building electric fences to contain the
elephants within confined areas, providing corridors for
elephants to cross from one wildlife park to another and
translocation. Most of these have met with limited success
[1].
In this paper we describe an alternative approach for
mitigating HEC using new technology. Our proposed
solution is an early warning system and is based on
mounting a Tracking Module (TM) on elephants to monitor
their movements remotely.
The design, development and installation program of the
TM based early warning system is being done in two stages,
(a) design and development of the electronics,
hardware, software and communication links of the
TM and performance testing,
(b) design and development of a suitable carrier for the
module (collar) to sit on the elephant and
deployment and testing in a real situation.
In this paper we present the results of the first part of the
design and development program of the TM. Work is
continuing to realize the second part of the program.
The first part of the Elephant Early Warning System
program was developed within a final year Undergraduate
Project and implemented in a period of 6 months, from
December 2007 to May 2008.
II. SYSTEM OVERVIEW
A block diagram of the early warning system architecture
is shown in Fig 1. The module GM862-GPS, shown as the
Tracking Module TM, obtains the GPS coordinates of its
location and transmits this information via the GPRS link to
a Web Server. The Server is set up in a standard Personal
Computer (PC). The received GPRS information is validated

Fig 1. Block diagram of the Elephant Early Warning system
formatted and recorded to the mySQL Database. Selected
position (track) data in the mySQL Database is then mapped
to an area map, a Google map in our design. The maps can
be viewed with the tracking positions in real time or as a
historical record. By superimposing a virtual boundary on
the area map within which the elephant should be contained,
our objective is to monitor the movement of the TM
(elephant) and give an early warning if the elephant
approaches the virtual boundary and is likely to cross it.
III. Tracking Module (TM)
The heart of the early warning system is the Tracking
Module (TM), consisting of the GM862-GPS processor [2]
with a Continuous Power Supply (CPS). The GM862-GPS is
one of the latest GSM processors used for tracking systems.
It is the main controlling unit of our tracking system. It
consists of a Digital Communication Transceiver, a GPRS
modem and a GPS receiver. The Digital Communication
Transceiver supported services are GSM800, GSM900,
GSM1800 and GSM1900. Of these only the GSM900 and
GSM1800 services are used in Sri Lanka. For data
communication this module includes a class 10 GPRS
modem which allows maximum data transfer rates up to
72kbps. This module also supports CSD (circuit switched
data) which allows maximum data rates of 14.4kbps. The
GM862-GPS module is embedded with a GPS receiver to
locate position data. This is a 20 channel GPS receiver
capable of receiving 20 signals simultaneously. Unlike a
typical GPS this module has high sensitivity, up to -159dBm
with its active antenna, and works even within a building.
The resolution or maximum error in location is 2.5 meters.
The functions of the processor can be controlled through AT
(Attention) commands specific to GSM modules. The
GM862-GPS module is programmed using the Python
programming language. Normally, a Python debugger
module is required to program the module. However, we
have been able to program the module directly bypassing the
need for the debugger module.
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Information from satellites is received on the L1
frequency (1575.42 MHz) to the GPS receiver. Row data
(position data) received from the GPS is processed by
Python script and interpreted. Results are then uploaded to
the server via the GPRS link as a SMS text message. The
GPS location can then be shown on an area map.
Our intention is to develop a highly reliable tracking
device since there can be no human intervention after the
TM is installed on the elephant. Thus if something should go
wrong, the error should be self corrected. One scenario is
that the module may get ‘stuck’, which is one of the worst
cases. We have designed our hardware to overcome this type
of situation by using a microcontroller. The hardware design
is based on determining the current status of the module
periodically by using the status pin in the module. If the
module gets ‘stuck’, the microcontroller will trigger the reset
pin.
IV. Continuous Power Supply (CPS)
A. Requirements of the CPS
A novel feature of the TM developed is its Continuous
Power Supply (CPS). This is necessary as once the TM is
installed the CPS should power the TM continuously thus
allowing for independent and ‘indefinite’ operation after
installation. Also the TM must be designed to withstand
impacts caused by elephant behaviour, weather conditions
and other environmental conditions.
The manufacturer [3] specified power supply
requirements for the GM862-GPS module are: Nominal
Supply Voltage 3.8V, Max Supply Voltage 4.2V and Supply
Voltage Range 3.4V to 4.2V. Therefore the power source
voltage should be maintained within the specified range to
avoid unconditional shutdown of hardware due to low
voltages or damage to the module due to high voltages.
The current flow in the module is not always constant and
has transitional peaks depending on its mode of operation.
As an example, the GSM system of the module operates in a
way that the RF transmission is not continuous, or it is
packed into bursts at a base frequency of about 216 Hz. The
relative current peaks can be as high as 2A according to the
manufacturer’s data sheet. [3]. Therefore the power supply
has to be designed in order to withstand these current peaks
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without a large voltage drop, as a large voltage drop would the panel is very sensitive to weather conditions. Also the
cause the module to auto shut down or malfunction. output voltage drops considerably when the load is
connected as compared to the open circuit conditions. Under
B. CPS Design and Development
good weather conditions the Li-Ion battery (3.7V,
Considering the demands made on our CPS, the designed 1000mAh) was fully charged after 6 hours.
CPS consists of a set of solar panels, Li-Ion charger, Li-Ion In operation the regulated solar power output is given to
battery and voltage regulator circuit as illustrated in Fig 2. the DC voltage input of the charger. The two output headers
of the charger are connected to the battery and the GM862-
GPS module. The basic power flow diagram is as illustrated
in Fig 2. A low ESR capacitor (Tantalum, 100µF, 10V) is
connected across the VBATT and GND pins in the GM862-
GPS module to reduce the current absorption peaks of 2A
when GSM is operating.
We also designed for the TM to be operated with a dual
mode power supply input to facilitate tracking of motor
vehicles with the same TM. For vehicle tracking there is a
switch to isolate the solar panels and facilitate operating the
Fig 2. Block diagram of the Continuous Power Supply TM with power input from the cigarette lighter of the
vehicle. The first prototype of the TM with dual mode power
The Li-Ion charger is the center point of the system and is supply is shown in Fig 3.
based on the MAX1555 IC. This charger uses either USB
bus power or a DC voltage source up to 7V. The maximum
charge current is around 270 mA (measured) and will charge
a 1000 mAh battery in about four hours. Current is
automatically shut off when charging is complete. There are
two output headers where the battery and load system can be
attached. The battery can remain connected to the load
system during charging and this enables the charger to be
built into a device and eliminates battery removal. A 7805
voltage regulator IC was used to give the required 5V input
to the charger.
The battery selected for the CPS is based on the new
Polymer Lithium Ion chemistry. This is the highest energy
density battery currently available. It outputs a nominal 3.7V
at 1100mAh. The battery includes built in protection against
Fig 3. First prototype of the TM with dual mode power
over voltage, over current and minimum voltage. The Li-Ion
supply.
charger we selected is ideal for charging this battery. This
battery can be directly connected to the GM862-GPS
The GSM862-GPS module and the CPS are below the solar
module through the VBATT and GND pins and can supply
panels. The antenna at front left corner is the GPRS antenna.
the required power to the module.
The GPS receiving antenna is at the bottom right of the TM
The selected solar panels are flexible panels manufactured
under the solar panel. The adapter to a motor vehicle lighter
with the latest PowerFilm solar technology [4]. The
is shown at the back of the TM.
durability of these solar panels was also a key feature in their
selection because they are suitable for any weather
V. WEB INTERFACE FOR THE TM
conditions. The specifications are: Rated output voltage 6V,
Maximum output voltage 10V (measured), Maximum The Web interface is another crucial part of the Tracking
current 260mA (measured), Weight 0.2 lbs and optimal System. To view the position of the TM, we needed to
operating temperature is around 25ºC. Dimensions of the develop a back end web based service and a communication
solar panels are 25cm x 15cm. The size of the solar panels method with that web service. This included a web server,
ultimately determines the overall dimensions of the TM. The database server and a communication server that receives the
open circuit voltage of the solar panels was measured over data from the TM, store it and view it in a web browser. It
several days. We found that on a bright day the specified can be used to show the real time locations of the TM and
maximum voltage levels of the manufacturer are obtained will also store the GPS positions in the database for future
only during the peak sunshine periods from about 9AM to reference.
3PM. When the load is connected variation of the current in

We have used an open source web service package to
develop the tracking web interface . This open source web
service package is programmed in Java. Server side is
designed to be device and protocol independent. In order to
use the features of the web interface, a specific device
communication server was implemented to communicate
with the TM and place the data in the SQL database. We
used a HTTP based protocol to communicate with the
database server and the TM. On the web interface side, the
user presentation is easily customizable and position maps,
detailed reports of the TM and summary reports of the TM
can be viewed.
VI. PERFORMANCE TESTING OF THE TRACKING SYSTEM
To test the performance of our tracking system, we took
the TM on a train and bus journey from Matara town along
the coast to the Faculty of Engineering at Hapugala, Galle, a
distance of approximately 50 KM. The position data of the
TM was transmitted at the rate of one per minute. (NB: For
this particular experimental trial the TM was battery
powered). The mapping of the TM positions on a Google
area map with our tracking system is shown as Fig 4. It is
observed that the TM positions (journey) have been
faithfully and accurately mapped on the Google area map. In
the display the speed of the moving TM, GPS coordinates
and time at which data was transmitted can be viewed by
‘clicking’ on the coloured icons displaying the track.
Fig 4. Mapping of the TM on the train and bus journey from
Matara to the Faculty of Engineering, Hapugala, Galle.
VII. THE VIRTUAL BOUNDARY
Most HEC’s occur due to elephants straying from their
‘designated’ habitats into human populated areas. It is
possible therefore to define a designated boundary within
which the elephant should be contained. This boundary can
be defined in terms of the GPS coordinates of a set of points
that describe the boundary perimeter. This boundary can
thus be mapped on the area map and becomes essentially a
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virtual boundary in the area map. Our early warning system
is based on this virtual boundary concept. We monitor the
position of the elephant by our tracking system starting with
the elephant inside the ‘designated’ or virtual boundary. If it
seems likely that the elephant will transgress the virtual
boundary a warning is given to the people likely to be
affected and Wildlife Officials to take precautionary
measures.
We have developed an algorithm that will calculate the
position of the elephant relative to the virtual boundary for
each position of the elephant received from the TM. The
basis of the algorithm for an arbitrary boundary defined by
eight points on the boundary perimeter with the elephant
inside is shown in Fig 5 (a). The elephant is at point O. The
algorithm calculates the vectors AO, BO, CO, DO, EO, FO,
GO and HO. The angles between the vectors are then
calculated from the dot product. Then the calculated angles
are summed. If the elephant (TM) is inside the boundary the
sum of the angles should equal 360°. Similarly if the
elephant position, point O, is outside the boundary the sum
of the angles will be less than 360°.
In some instances it is possible that the polygon
describing the boundary will have internal angles greater
than 180°. Then the polygon describing the boundary is
divided into sub polygons. An example is shown in Fig 5(b).
Here the main polygon has been sub divided to two
polygons ABCDE and FGHIJKL where all the internal
angles in the sub polygons are less than 180°. The elephant
is at point O inside the sub polygon ABCDE. The
summation of the angles for the sub polygon ABCDE is
SUM1 = 360° and the summation of the angles for sub
polygon FGHIJKL is SUM2 = less than 360°. Thus if both
SUM1 and SUM2 are less than 360° the elephant is outside
the boundary. Else it is inside the boundary.
We have included a feature in our tracking system to
increase the rate of transmission of elephant position as it
gets closer to the boundary. Thus it will be possible to
monitor the exact position of the elephant at a greater
resolution as it nears the virtual boundary.

Fig 5. The virtual boundary concept for two different
boundaries
(a) all internal angle less than 180° ,
(b) some internal angles greater than 180°
VIII. SYSTEM RELIABILTY
Once the TM is installed on the elephant it should operate
independently and ‘indefinitely’ without any manual
intervention. To increase the system reliability we have
included self correcting mechanisms and the system
reliability has been further enhanced by including the
following features:
• GPS validation check
• GPRS receive signal strength check (with 2dBm
stepping)
• Write data to file during low signal levels (or
during no service mode) for later transmission
• Battery level testing
• System status indicators
• Switch between several position data uploading
rates according to battery power level and elephant
location
• Night time power saving mode
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IX. SUMMARY
In this paper we have described an alternative approach to
mitigating HEC’s. Our approach is an early warning system
developed with the latest tracking modules. A novel feature
of our design is the Continuous Power Supply (CPS), so that
once the TM is installed on the elephant will work
independently and ‘indefinitely’ without any manual
intervention. The prototype of the TM shown in Fig 4, has a
single solar panel. We have enhanced this with another solar
panel to increase the charging reliability of the CPS. Some
novel features have been incorporated into the tracking
system which increases the reliability and independent
operation of the TM.
The tracking system is still being extensively tested. At
present we are testing the long term operation of the TM by
testing its operation over en extended period of operation.
We hope to test the TM in a ‘real’ situation to test our virtual
boundary concept, by mounting it on a tame elephant. We
hope to be able to have the results of these tests in time for
the ICIAfS conference in December 2008. The future
development of this program will be to have multiple TM
installed on elephants in the wild.
A full description of the developed electronics, hardware,
software and communication links can be found in
Reference [5].
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Prof. Alan Purvis, Centre for Electronics, School of
Engineering, University of Durham, UK for suggesting the
Elephant Early Warning System for an Undergraduate
Project.
Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka
(TRCSL) for obtaining, and The Ministry of Defence, Public
Security, Law & Order for granting security clearance to use
the GM862-GPS module.
Mr. Rasantha Hettithanthrige, General Manager
Engineering, Mobitel (pvt) Ltd, Sri Lanka for providing a
SIM and network connection for the duration of the
Undergraduate Project.
Mr. C. D. Jayasundere, Attorney at Law, for his help in
purchasing the vital electronic components from USA.
REFERENCES
[1] G. S. Miththapala, “Way to c0-exist”, The Sunday Times of Sri
Lanka, Plus pp.4, July 6 2008.
[2] http://www.sparkfun.com
[3] http://www.telit.com
[4] Silicon Solar Inc, USA. www.siliconsolar.com
[5] R. W. D. T. Indunil, K. H. G. S. Jayaneth, H. M. K. S. Marambage
and J. G. S. Nalini, Tracking System using GPS and GPRS,
Undergraduate Project Report 2008, Department of Electrical and
Information Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of
Ruhuna, Sri Lanka.