Pyri: Bio-Based Early Wildfire Detection
Published 21 February 2025
Constructed from naturally derived abundant materials, Pyri is a low-cost, maintenance-free alternative to conventional wildfire detection systems. Designed to assist remote, unprepared and vulnerable communities, the innovation presents a scalable solution for detecting and preventing the spread of wildfires.
Developed by a team of designers from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art, the device has won both the James Dyson and Terra Carta Design Lab awards. Aesthetically and functionally, Pyri takes inspiration from serotinous pinecones, which release seeds in response to heat.
Once a fire begins, The PyriPod’s melting trigger releases a saltwater solution and activates an organic electric circuit, which emits a radio frequency signal from a charcoal composite antenna. These signals are sent to existing communication towers and dedicated receivers within a 50km radius, where they are then triangulated and analysed with existing weather and satellite data to assess the likelihood of and precisely pinpoint wildfires using AI. An alert is then sent to local authorities and at-risk communities. Thanks to the use of nontoxic materials, the triggered PyriPods burn up with little environmental impact.
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Requiring no maintenance, the detectors can be deployed across remote, high-risk areas by local firefighting services or by helicopter. While advancements have been made in early detection via IoT-enabled devices and drone technology (like ForestGuard), Pyri is unique in its affordability, easy installation, and ability to integrate into existing forest management and telecom infrastructure. Much like The Guardian Toad and Filter Caps, this simple and cost-effective design makes it suitable for swift and easy large-scale adoption in resource-limited areas.
With the frequency and severity of wildfires rising due to climate change – extreme incidents are predicted to increase by 30% worldwide by 2050 (United Nations, 2023) – early warning systems are vital for reducing devastation and protecting at-risk communities. See Product Design Solutions for the New Climate Era for more.
