Indore: Draw a picture: On a night in the forests of Madhya Pradesh, there is Tigress as her cubs approach the railway tracks. And at that moment, rain of goods rushes in the truck heading towards Tigress. At this moment, the siren departs to the nearest train station. Within seconds, the Roco pilot receives an automatic warning, slowing down Tallinn and avoiding tragedy.Though this scenario is an imaginary scenario today, it soon becomes a reality as Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore develops an artificial intelligence (AI) drive system that detects the movement of tigers and other carnivorous animals near railway tracks and roads.AI-enabled sensor-based monitoring and management systems are designed to raise early warnings of animal invasion and reduce accidents in Madhya Pradesh. Initially, the system will be deployed along roads and roads passing through or near wildlife habitat. It then expands into residential areas, villages and other zones where invasion occurs. The project is being developed by IIT Indore, the State Forest Research Institute (SFRI) in Jabalpur under a recent memorandum of understanding (MOU). The aim is to mitigate the risks arising from railway expansion projects and linear infrastructure activities intersecting wildlife corridors.“We are developing AI-powered edge computing systems using both hardware and software. We capture images of tigers, leopards and other large animals, analyze visuals, and send instant alerts to train drivers on the presence of animals near the truck.” Saurabh Das, Associate Professor and Director of the Faculty of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Engineering at IIT Indore.The system can track animal movements within a certain range and even suggest possible travel. Operates with batteries or solar power to ensure reliability in forest areas.In recent years, several AI-based pilot projects in Teh Country have shown encouragement results. In the Coimbatore region of Tamil Nadu, the railway has introduced an AI-based intrusion detection system to prevent elephants from being attacked by trains.According to SFRI, the expansion of railway lines through key zones such as the Satpura Fusion Wildlife Corridor, coupled with climate change and habitat reductions has led to human-animal conflicts. The Institute hopes that early savior AI technology will become a game changer for Tiger Conservation.SFRI Director Pradeep Vasudeva said, “Partnering with IIT Indore will strengthen forest management in Madhya Pradesh and will promote the application of the latest technologies to solve key challenges.” The SFRI team recently visited IIT-Indore to deliberate on technical solutions.Safri Scientist Aniruddha Majumdar stressed that while infrastructure growth cannot be stopped, “technology-driven solutions will help save Tigers and other carnivorous animals from avoidable conflicts.”The partnership marks the first initiative jointly working with state-level forestry research labs and top-class technology labs to conserve real-time wildlife.Suhas Joshi, director of IIT-Indore, said, “This collaboration integrates research excellence, innovative solutions, and field-level implementations to create concrete impacts.”
