10144734Intelligent Deer Deterrent System with Advanced Monitoring Dashboard for Railway Protection (ADDS)ClosedSmall Business Research InitiativeInnovate UKThe issue of deer strikes on railways is becoming increasingly problematic due to the rising deer population. The British deer population is around 2 million. The population rises by 30% each year, expanding by 600 000 between May and June (European Wilderness Society). In the UK, Network Rail reported around 300 deer-related incidents annually. This can cause significant delays and damages, necessitating both train repairs and potential wildlife management strategies?. In the UK, there are an estimated 74,000 deer-related vehicle collisions annually, including trains. Deer strikes can cause significant financial damage. The estimated cost of deer-vehicle collisions (including railways) is £90 million annually (Network Rail 2023). A single deer strike can cost up to £500,000 in repairs and delays. To solve this challenge, Innovation Factory developed a system of an Intelligent Deer Deterrence System (ADDS) for railway protection using intelligent vision sensors that can detect and classify deer movements when attempting to cross the railway and share these data to a dedicated dashboard. When a deer is detected, the system activates audible and visual alarms to deter it. This prevents deer strikes with trains, therefore minimising delayed and cancelled trains. Its AI camera continuously analyses the deer's movements and behaviour until it has moved away. The system also stores these parameters for future use. As a people centred project, we will evaluate the stakeholders feedback creating a new system and dashboard design looking at all aspects of their needs, from deer data requirements to all the people involved at every stage of the process. The main difference between the current systems is the ability to trigger dynamic audible and visual alarms (up to 20,000 variations) based on the specific deer species. This ensures full deterrence in a short time and prevents deer from ignoring the alarm. Deploying AI dynamic deterrence functions can be integrated into the system to prevent deer from crossing railway tracks, thereby reducing the risk of accidents. By leveraging real-time data and predictive modelling, these deterrence functions can proactively identify and deter deer from entering railway areas, thus enhancing safety for both humans and wildlife.