Polarbear alarm to arctis - With Designlarm and Ajax alarm systems

Designlarm delivers polar bear alarm to the Arctic

No, it's not an April Fool's joke. Designlarm has recently sent a configured polar bear alarm destined for Svalbard in the Arctic. The aim is to alert film crews and expedition leaders if polar bears enter the camp where the team resides and keeps their equipment.

Film Expeditions in Svalbard

Oskar Strøm organizes and leads film expeditions in Svalbard. Essentially, all these films revolve around polar bears, and film companies like Disney have visited Svalbard and the Arctic to film these amazing creatures. The problem is that polar bears are often hungry and seek food where it's available, such as in a human camp in Svalbard. Additionally, some polar bears may damage valuable equipment such as diesel generators, camera equipment, etc.
Polar Bear
Polarbear alarm to arctic With Designlarm and Ajax alarm systems
Ajax goes arctic

Polar bear alarm

Oskar contacted Designlarm in the fall of 2023 to explore the possibilities of getting an alarm that could alert expedition members if a polar bear enters the area where the camp is located. The previous alarm consisted of tripwires connected to a revolver that fired a shot to draw attention from team members. The challenge of creating an alarm was immense, and at the time of writing this, the project is more of an experiment than a proven technology.

Challanges:

  • Can the system detect one or more polar bears?
  • Limited internet access
  • Can the alarm detectors and batteries withstand the cold?
  • Will the detectors become covered with snow and ice?
  • Limited budget
Polar expedition Polar Bears alarm

Ajax alarm system

Designlarm, along with Oskar, took a chance and chose to configure an Ajax alarm with curtain detectors that can cover an area of up to 90 square meters. Inside the sleeping pods, we have installed CO detectors connected to sirens in the cabins and an outdoor siren to scare off polar bears and alert the team if they have left the camp. The alarm will be controlled with remote controls. The alarm system will be subjected to temperatures below -40°C, but the equipment is only tested for -25°C, posing a risk to batteries and equipment.

Designlarm will provide updates with more information as the project progresses.