Introduction

Greetings. Welcome to an ongoing experiment in sound detection.

The goal of the RFCx Hacker's Handbook v1 is to allow you to turn an Android phone into a basic D.I.Y version of the RFCx device using stuff you can purchase online.

Rainforest Connection devices were developed to generate useful data about the ecosystem, particularly data to save rainforests and endangered species habitats. People are always thinking of other new uses. We are too.

Before wild imagination takes hold, a few words: What we are sending you today is extremely basic in order that you can actually perform this process. We spent a great deal of time in the garage after our last field demonstration in Africa to make the assembly process simpler. This is just a starting point. Undertaking the process below does not yet provide advanced capabilities like sound analysis or alerts, capabilities and analysis tiers which are changing every month based on fieldwork and testing. In other words, many aspects of the software are still too dynamic to be useful to reliably share. But depending on your skills as a programmer, you could use your phone to detect and send alerts for other types of sounds.

In other words:

** You won’t be able to use your device to detect specific sounds unless you install and adapt your own analysis code. We do plan to release more easily installed versions of our software in sync with the opening of our web API, which we expect to take on after further testing in our three pilot projects. The RFCx Hackers Handbook is currently for Backers only, so thanks for not sharing the link.**

Want to work with us on a code based project?

If enough people are interested to help develop code we want to help create a repository, write us if you want to do that: contact@rfcx.org. Most of the current sound analysis is in Python, and can be run on any desktop computer or server. (Note: if you do write us regarding the Hackers Handbook, please reference "Hackers Handbook," in the title of your email.)

Our current wish is to update the handbook periodically to allow a wider scope of capabilities: including plugging into our API and different levels of sound detection as we develop them. We suspect many of you will prefer to wait until a slightly later version to engage turning your phone into a RFCx device, but our hope is you have some skills to do this now.

How We Got Here

Back in September, as we were making 40 devices in our garage for a number of pilot projects, we started documenting our assembly process for this handbook. After reviewing our progress, we found that it was just too complicated to be useful for others. At that point we were developing a rather standard written instruction manual. After more refinement in the field in Africa, we decided this was not the way to show people how to build a device. So, in the name of trying to make assembly easier, we scrapped the original concept, started over, added some delays (apologies) and endeavored to create a video based Hackers Handbook which is what we are sending you here. For the most crucial step of our system, having a device, we think this is better. Once you have something built, we hope you will get in touch with us so we can hear your thoughts and also convey other possible steps based on your desired use scenario. A digital handbook also has the advantage of being an iteration that will allow more changes. We think it is more user friendly. Is it?

All the stuff you need

Instead of looking for the best deals, we opted for the simplicity of one-stop shopping.

For Adafruit purchases, you may use the 10% discount coupon, "PROMEMADA" at Check Out.

Components you will need and links to purchase them:

• 1 Android phone
• 1 Power controller: AdaFruit.com (#390)
• 1 Thermistor: AdaFruit.com (#372)
• 1 Step up converter: AdaFruit.com (#1903)
• 1 JST Cable: AdaFruit.com (#261)
• 1 Battery Pack Adafruit: AdaFruit.com (#354)
• 1 Micro USB Cable (right angle for fitting): AdaFruit.com (#1318)
• 1 set of DC Power Cabling: AdaFruit.com (#743)
• 1 External microphone (any microphone you can plug into the phone jack): SoundProfessionals.com
• 1 Enclosure (a box or container in which to nest all the above components): RadioShack.com or, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, choose a size that will fit YOUR Android phone at PolyCase.com

Merge your two (2) JST cables in order to connect the Charge Controller to what you'll build next.

Assemble your Step-Up Convertor (Adafruit PowerBoost 500). This component will transform the ~3.7 volt power supply into a 5 volt USB input for your Android phone.

Mount your StepUp Convertor on top of the Charge Controller, and connect the two components.

Optionally, you may use a 3D printed balancing table for positioning the Charge Controller inside the enclosure.

The file for the 3D printed table may be obtained from here in our Github repository.

Slide your Android smartphone (snugly) into your enclosure.

Attach the microphone, no other explanation needed!

Were you able to follow the steps? How could we improve?

contact@rfcx.org

Please put Hackers Handbook in the title of your email.

General Philosophy Behind The Rainforest Connection System

Wherever possible, we seek to use existing infrastructure, such as cell networks to gather data and use MESH/GSM and other modes of data transfer to relay information.

We started with the problem of deforestation because of its triple impacts on climate change, species extinction, indigenous rights, as well as the enormous impacts of deforestation on water and air quality. Protecting Rainforests also means protecting future medicines, since many of the world's great cures have derived from plants in the rainforest.

Rainforest destruction accounts for up to 17% of the CO2 emissions worldwide. Rainforest destruction is currently monitored by satellites which give a picture of the destruction after it has happened and after illegal lumber has already been taken to market. Audio data and sound profiles related to rainforest destruction are not captured by any system in use today.

A part of the goal of the hackers handbooks is to begin to familiarize hackers with the actual set up of our evolving system so that we can support a community of people who might join our general efforts to crowd source solutions to these and other problems. For instance, we have seen first hand that sound detection at distance is useful for disrupting patterns of illegal logging. When illegal logging happens at scale it takes many days and weeks for loggers to create the inroads to illegally cut, remove and transport lumber. Being able to run explicit analysis for the sounds of large trucks, heavy machinery and chainsaws (capabilities we are still testing and refining) indicates where the activities are happening and allows for planned interventions or the ability to gain valuable forensic evidence and patterns of illegal activity that create an intervention mechanism.

Generally speaking, in terms of halting deforestation and species extinction (poaching) the kind of data we need to protect rainforests doesn’t exist. If it did, we wouldn't be creating hardware platforms and rainforest destruction would be easier to stop. For example, according to Interpol 90% of logging in rainforests is illegal. The reason why this is so is because there is no working response mechanism for illegal rainforest destruction. Rangers or law enforcement rarely come face to face with illegal loggers, whereas if you have an emergency at your home, even if you live in the middle of nowhere in the US, you can probably dial 911 and contact emergency services for a response. Because no such response mechanism exists for rainforest destruction we began to experiment with hardware that could provide data useful for this purpose. Thanks for being a part of this experiment! We have a lot of work to do. We thank you, as always, for your patience, understanding and support. Criticism is always welcome, as are better ideas!