How Project HEDGE Works -The Science of Snuffles

The Prickle Detector

Rather than using sensors that constantly draw power, our station wakes up only when a hedgehog arrives. At the moment, this is done using a pressure plate in the entrance that detects the hedgehog’s weight (but ignores leaves, rain, or danger slugs!) and switches the system on.

This simple trigger takes no power at all. The sensors stay in a deep sleep until activated by a hedgehog’s arrival. We plan to evolve this system into a smarter, more robust design, but as every hedgehog knows, a nest isn’t built in a day.

It’s a neat balance of clever engineering and good old hedgehog logic: conserve energy, only move when you need to.

The Power System

Each unit runs on rechargeable lithium batteries, just like your phone, carefully managed by a smart circuit that balances charging and power use. (Each battery, naturally, is rated at 3,000 huffs.)

Our early designs focused on data reliability, not efficiency, but we’re now fine-tuning every circuit to make the stations run longer and smarter. We originally started with a car battery that lasted only 12 days. Our first goal was to create a built-in battery pack that could last two weeks between charges. We’re now forecasting closer to 30 days, although temperature can affect battery life.

We’re currently testing solar panels so each station can recharge itself during the day, even in the dullest UK winter. Once perfected, this will make the units self-powered, opening up the opportunity to deploy stations in more remote locations and truly let them run wild (figuratively speaking).

The Camera

To help identify unchipped visitors, or spot signs of injury or illness, each station can also hold a small wildlife camera. We’ve designed a custom 3D-printed mount that fits the popular Amazon Blink cameras. They’re affordable, easy to use, and energy efficient.

While they don’t yet link directly to the RFID system, the footage complements our data beautifully. Videos help confirm visits, reveal behaviours, and occasionally capture moments of hedgehog mischief. Over time, these recordings will help us understand the condition, movement, and habits of both chipped and unchipped individuals.

We’ll soon be asking for help from volunteers to verify camera images, so keep an eye out (and a beady one at that) for when we start recruiting.

It’s our way of putting faces, snoots, and beady eyes to the numbers.

The Data

The software we’ve developed allows flexible data collection and future-proofing for new sensors or upgrades. During testing, each unit also sends diagnostic data so we can monitor performance remotely.

The system can detect multiple hedgehogs in quick succession and stores all readings locally until it’s ready to upload them via Wi-Fi. Once connected, it securely transmits the data to our database, which records time, date, location, and power levels.

By batching uploads, we save power and ensure no information is lost if the Wi-Fi drops out. This growing dataset is what will one day power a public map of hedgehog movements, a digital trail of prickly footsteps across gardens and green spaces.

The Bigger Picture

Every detection helps build a map of hedgehog mischief, showing when, where, and how often individuals visit. Over time, these patterns reveal ranges, hibernation behaviour, and how hedgehogs move between gardens and green spaces.

We know everyone’s eager to see who’s about, and a public-friendly interface is very much part of our long-term plan. Imagine being able to view a map of local hedgehog activity or follow the nightly adventures of the same prickly visitor!

That said, we’re not quite there yet. Before we make it pretty, we need to make it prickleproof. Our priority right now is ensuring every detection is accurate, every record reliable, and every system stable. Once we’re confident the foundations are solid, we’ll begin developing the public-facing dashboard, a simple and engaging way for supporters to see real hedgehog movements in their own communities.

Behind the scenes, all of our raw data will be available to researchers, including three years of fully digitised hedgehog care records, behavioural observations, and test results. Together, these form an unprecedented dataset of pre- and post-release information, offering detailed insights into hedgehog recovery, movement, and survival, without spending thousands of hours in the field or thousands of pounds building a tracking system.

Project HEDGE removes the technology barrier to wildlife research.

By providing a low-cost, reliable, and accessible monitoring platform, it allows researchers, rescues, and communities to focus on what truly matters: understanding and protecting hedgehogs, rather than building the tools to do it.

It’s conservation technology designed for collaboration, powered by huffs and guided by a keen nose for science… with just the right amount of spikiness.

Follow our progress or support the next stage at [Crowdfunder link]