Rakuno Gakuen University Case Study

DeterCam cameras were deployed in brown bear risk areas in Takinoue Town, Hokkaido as part of a joint field research project in collaboration with Rakuno Gakuen University and local stakeholders.

Brown bears entering agricultural areas (dent corn) can cause crop damage and create safety concerns for farmers and local communities. There is growing demand for non-lethal approaches that can support wildlife monitoring and management.

23 DeterCamAI cameras were installed around dent corn fields to detect approaching brown bears and automatically activate non-contact deterrence stimuli while recording wildlife events.

The project evaluates brown bear detection and behavioral responses to AI-triggered non-lethal deterrence under real field conditions.

The deployed DeterCam units have detected and deterred both brown bears and Asian black bears, recording over 950 deterrence events within three months, averaging approximately 10 events per day. The reported deterrence success rate exceeds 99%.
The cameras have captured field data on detection events and behavioural responses following deterrence activation. Monitoring continues to assess response patterns over repeated encounters.

All DeterCam units will be removed around mid-October, following the completion of the dent corn harvest. Rakuno Gakuen University will then analyze the collected data and submit a final report by the end of March 2027.

Takinoe Town will consider whether to continue deploying DeterCam units and offline versions at identified wildlife hotspots. The Town will also consider the potential adoption of DeterCam following the submission of the final report.