A drone to rescue fawns

Using a thermal camera mounted on a drone, an EPFL student has found a way to spot fawns before the harvester passes through. He does not charge for this service, which effectively eliminates the risk of animals being accidentally killed in the fields. Simon Jobin is an architecture student and aerial photography specialist. When he's not studying, he works for a Fribourg-based company set up by his brother and other students. "We make videos, do thermal imaging, monitor the progress of construction projects and create 3D models of plots of land," he explains. After reading an article about fawns being accidentally killed by farm machinery during the harvest season, he realized that his drone could serve an unexpected purpose. "When they hear the tractors coming, fawns lie down in the tall grass rather than running away.