SPYCE: A Multi-Modal Rodent Monitoring Device for Enhanced Detection, Monitoring, and Behavior Analysis

Rodents pose a significant threat to agriculture, causing extensive damage to crops, infrastructure, and ecosystem health. This pressing issue necessitates innovative, sustainable management solutions. SPYCE, a rodent-monitoring device (RMD), is designed to provide a flexible, adaptable solution for rodent detection, monitoring, and behavior-analysis. Developed as part of the MED4PEST project, which focuses on advancing ecologically based rodent management by reducing reliance on synthetic pest-control methods and promoting sustainable, eco-friendly farming systems tailored to the Mediterranean-region. SPYCE’s modular, customizable configuration allows users to select sensors based on operational requirements and budget constraints, emphasizing open accessibility, tailored functionality, and cost-effective deployment.

SPYCE is a T-shaped device designed for flexible deployment at greenhouse entry points and fenced agricultural fields. Its design allows rodents to enter and exit freely, facilitating precise monitoring. The T-joint structure includes a horizontal base pipe equipped with PIR sensors at each entrance to detect movement. A housing at the top of the vertical pipe contains critical sensors such as an ultrasonic sensor, ultrasonic microphone, and infrared camera oriented downward toward the T-joint, all integrated with a Raspberry-Pi. A mmWave-radar sensor monitors external movement signatures. A temperature-humidity sensor collects environmental data, while a protective top cover shields the electronics from dust and water.

The system firmware, developed in Python, supports three operational modes for various monitoring needs. In Mode-1, PIR sensors at the entrances activate the system, which waits for ultrasonic-sensor confirmation to initiate data collection. In Mode-2, the ultrasonic sensor detects motion at the central joint, directly triggering data acquisition. In Mode-3, the infrared camera operates continuously, detecting motion through background changes and activating other sensors when a rodent is detected. Across all modes, temperature-humidity data are recorded at regular intervals. Additionally, separate code records movement signatures using the mmWave radar. SPYCE’s modular design adapts to diverse operational requirements while maintaining accuracy and reliability in data collection. Furthermore, SPYCE is open-source, with hardware designs, scripts, and implementation details available on GitHub (https://github.com/superworld-cyens/MED4PEST), enabling researchers and practitioners to replicate and customize SPYCE for rodent monitoring.

SPYCE is currently deployed at pilot sites in Greece and Turkey, actively collecting rodent-activity data. This data will serve as the foundation for developing a multi-modal deep-learning model capable of detecting, counting, and analyzing rodent behavior with high precision. Additionally, multi-modal anomaly-detection techniques will investigate behavioral changes in rodents under EBRM and non-EBRM conditions, providing valuable insights. These pilot deployments will validate SPYCE’s potential as an effective tool for assessing EBRM strategies. This work can also extend to broader rodent-management applications, including population estimation, behavioral analysis, and ecological monitoring.

Funding: This work is part of MED4PEST, funded under the PRIMA Programme, an Art.185 initiative co-funded by Horizon-2020, the EU’s Research and Innovation Programme. Additional funding was provided by the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation, Greece; the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey; the EU Horizon-2020 Research and Innovation Programme (grant No. 739578); and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus through the Directorate General for European Programmes, Coordination, and Development.