IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Irvine Ranch Conservancy (IRC) has invited Newport Beach resident and SensoRy AI founder Ryan Honary, 14, to conduct a pilot project evaluating a multitude of environmental management and protection applications for his proprietary AI-driven sensor network technology including the detection, measurement, notification, and prediction of a variety of environmental threats to facilitate their mitigation and prevention.
The project comes as the severity and cost of wildfires reach historic, catastrophic levels. It will test Honary’s system for use in land management and fire prevention in sensitive areas as well as an array of monitoring techniques that inform the response to various environmental threats. The technology for the pilot program will be deployed in early 2022, with research into various environmental applications of the sensors continuing throughout the year.
“We were impressed with Ryan’s research, and we are excited about its potential to improve our ability to detect threats and monitor our natural resources, which are essential to our adaptive management approach,” said Dr. Nathan Gregory, Vice President and Chief Programs Officer of the Irvine Ranch Conservancy.
Utilizing remote sensors and AI capable of both identifying the initial sparks of a fire and predicting spread patterns, Honary’s low-cost, self-contained mesh network can be deployed anywhere and communicate with scientists as well as emergency personnel in real time via an app. The technology has been further developed by Honary and the startup that he founded, SensoRy AI, for additional capabilities, including detecting and measuring air and water pollution and soil moisture levels.
In response to the devastation of the 2018 Camp Fire, including the deaths of 85 people and the destruction of over 18,000 structures at a cost of over $16.5 billion, California native Honary developed an early detection technology for preventing wildfires. In March of 2020, Honary won the prestigious Office of Naval Research (ONR) Naval Science Award. This grant led to the formation of Honary’s company, SensoRy AI. The company has since received multiple rounds of funding from ONR for continued research and development.
“I believe that Environmental Engineering will be one of the most important fields of my generation and my hope is that students will be encouraged to pursue it and have the resources to do so,” states Honary. “I am really excited about the opportunity to demonstrate my solution in a larger context, in collaboration with Dr. Gregory and his team, and expect the outcomes to be instrumental in future conservation efforts.”
About Ryan Honary
Ryan Honary is an award-winning 14-year-old student at The Pegasus School who has been putting his STEM-fueled passion for people and the environment into real action for years. When not developing science-based solutions to local and global climate challenges, Honary loves playing competitive tennis and, in support of a local not-for-profit, teaching it to autistic youth; singing and shredding on guitar, and surfing in his hometown of Newport Beach, CA. To learn more, visit www.ryanhonary.com or connect with him on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook by searching @RyanHonary.
About Irvine Ranch Conservancy
Irvine Ranch Conservancy is a non-profit, non-advocacy organization created in 2005 to help preserve and support the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, enhancing the public’s connection to the land while helping partners and landowners with all aspects of stewardship. The Conservancy offers a variety of free, guided outdoor activities for all nature enthusiasts including hiking, mountain biking, horse-back riding and much more. For more information, visit http://www.irconservancy.org and http://www.letsgooutside.org.
Contact: Ryan DeJean
337-704-7061
ryan@artemia.com
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