Innovation in action: from field research to smarter predator control

The AI-powered Multi-trap™ grew from a long-term collaboration between conservation scientists, biosecurity practitioners and technology specialists. Boffa Miskell has supported the journey from its early research foundations and continues to help test these emerging tools through on-the-ground biosecurity work.

Innovation in conservation often begins with a practical problem encountered in the field, such as the difficulty of detecting elusive native animals. Traditional wildlife cameras work well for larger species but are less effective for animals such as skinks, geckos, invertebrates and small mammals. Established monitoring methods can also be labour-intensive, intrusive and expensive, particularly in remote or challenging environments. 

In 2017, Boffa Miskell’s internal research programme supported early development and field testing of CritterPic, a technology conceived by biosecurity specialists Katherine Muchna and Dr Helen Blackie and developed alongside engineers Red Fern Solutions. The research proposal aimed to refine a device capable of capturing close-up images of small animals and remotely reporting their interactions. Trials focused on practical conservation applications, from monitoring native lizards to detecting rodents and mustelids. 

That collaboration evolved into Critter Solutions, a joint venture between Boffa Miskell and Red Fern Solutions established to continue development of novel conservation technologies and bring them into practical use. Imaging and species-recognition capability subsequently became the technological foundation for several new tools, including the Multi-trap™. 

The self-resetting Multi-trap uses onboard artificial intelligence to identify animals in real time. Rather than relying on an animal to mechanically trigger the trap, it analyses images and sensor data to determine whether an animal is a selected target species, activating when the real-time AI identifies a programmed species with the required level of confidence. To date (Octrober 2026), performance has been flawless with zero non-target strikes observed or reported by any Multi-trap from deployments all across the country.

The trap can also operate in monitoring mode, gathering information without activating. It automatically resets and dispenses fresh lure, enabling continued operation between servicing visits. These functions are intended to support selective pest control while reducing the labour required to check and reset conventional trap networks. 

Supporting innovation has never been separate from field practice or project work at Boffa Miskell. Biosecurity was established as a dedicated discipline in 2017, bringing research into novel control, monitoring and surveillance tools together with strategic pest-management planning and on-the-ground operational delivery. Our biosecurity practitioners have contributed fieldwork, data collection, and analysis to the development of these technologies; while on-going project work provides opportunities to test how emerging tools perform under real environmental and operational conditions. 

That applied approach continues today. Boffa Miskell biosecurity teams use smart AI-enabled monitoring, automated lures, remote reporting and established ecological methods within pest-management programmes. This helps test new devices alongside existing approaches and builds evidence about where each tool can add the greatest value. 

Biosecurity consultant Adam Willetts uses the Multi-traps on several current projects in Northland. “The AI Multi-trap really takes pest management to a new level. It provides real-time insight into animal behaviour, targets only identified pest species and substantially reduces field servicing, making control more efficient.

“The trap is able to act as a pre-feeder to shy animals and the operator can use the live dashboard to monitor pest animal behaviour around the trap entrance,” he continues. “Plus, the large reduction in labour servicing costs and in human foot traffic better protects sensitive ecological areas.”

The Multi-trap shows what can emerge when research is supported over the long term and tested against real conservation challenges. Through its ongoing support of applied research and biosecurity project work, Boffa Miskell continues to help test and refine these technologies in the environments where they must ultimately perform, connecting research, field experience and technological innovation to support better biodiversity outcomes.