GPS Python Trap Drone Retrieval (GPTDR) System

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The Everglades is a subtropical wetland ecosystem spanning almost two million acres across central and south Florida.

This GPS Python Trap Drone Retrieval System will make the capturing of Burmese Pythons in the Florida Everglades viable and efficient. The snakes are devastating mammal wildlife in the Florida Everglades, and seriously jeopardizing the ongoing restoration of our amazing 'River of Grass.' There is only 1/3 of the original Everglades still left in existence. To date efforts to capture significant numbers of pythons has been largely unsuccessful. E.g., 1,000 hunters caught 68 pythons in one hunt.

The USDA has received a Patent for a live trap that targets large, heavy snakes, while sparing smaller native species such as rattlesnakes, and water moccasins. Burmese Pythons, from India and other parts of Asia, have no natural enemies in the Everglades. Federal wildlife officials have tried radio tracking collars, massive public hunts and even snake-sniffing dogs to control the invasive species. They are racing to control the python population before it undermines ongoing efforts to restore natural water flow through our National Everglades.*

The USDA trap is well thought out in and of itself. Yet is still requires checking by humans across 2 million acres routinely: No easy task. Vast amounts of labor, fuel, and resources are required to monitor and service such a huge area. Much is not accessible, even by airboat. A python lays up to 100 eggs at a time. Plain GPS with human retrieval alone, will do much less than GPTDR toward eradicating this infestation of Pythons decimating our precious Everglades. For an idea of how powerful these creatures are, a 6 foot alligator escapes a grown (about 14 feet long) python's wrap, about 50% of the time.

The GPTDR System invention starts with a simple GPS signal sent from the trap alerting officials on a mapped grid of trap locations when the second trip gate, or "proving gate" is sprung by a python. The officials can then retrieve the catch.

The GPTDR system doesn't stop there; even though it is far more efficient indicating the trap closure and location than mere periodic human trap-checking.

The GPTDR design dispatches Drone Aircraft to the ID'd trap locations to safely retrieve the snakes and traps!

We all know that Drone aircraft delivery and pick up, is the Future.

We can Create The Everglades Future now.

Florida US Senators Marco Rubio & Rick Scott introduced the 'SLITHER' ACT on May 5, 2020, to establish a task force to seek out and fund new technology to address this horrific problem. See: S.3606 The SLITHER ACT (text not released by Senate until final)

The Plan is to use the Create The Future Contest winnings for prototyping and proof of concept presentation to the SLITHER Task Force and USDA, and to share the IP with the USDA, et al apropos government, to bring The Everglades GDPTR Project to fruition.

This is so important to Florida, our Nation, and the World.
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  • Name:
    William Kitsch
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