Posted on April 22, 2026 by Storm Goodman
Team Sonny Squad: Jeffry, Samuel, Logan (Left to Right)
Late at night, do you often wonder what the rustle is in the bushes? With so many types of surveillance systems, including our human eyes, often relying on sunlight to examine our surroundings, identifying elements of our natural world can be a challenge without its rays. For scientists studying nighttime animal activity, this presents a significant hurdle that can impede their research.
Team Sunny Squad has a solution to this problem, which they are looking to bring to light at the upcoming Spring 2026 Tech Symposium. Over the course of the semester, the team worked hard to develop a device that could navigate wilderness conditions in the dark while also performing real-time surveillance and recording. After countless hours of hard work, their device, the Low-Light Detection Robot, possesses all the necessary features and more to make nocturnal wildlife monitoring easy and effective.
The project idea was first presented to Sunny Squad by Dr. Yufang Jin, who worked closely with the team during the early development stages to help them determine which direction to take the project and how they could best solve the presented problem. The team’s shared interest in outdoor activities and conservation ultimately led to their decision to tackle the challenge of improving and perfecting nocturnal nighttime monitoring.
This team, consisting of Jeffry Rodarte, who developed the autonomous driving feature, Samuel Hernandez, who headed the training and testing, and Logan Burley, who worked on the input/output electrical components and the chassis creation, was able to combine artificial intelligence with advanced sensor technology to help classify, detect, and count animals in the dark. By incorporating a LiDAR system as well as dual day/night cameras, the rover would be able to record at all times and all levels of light. After the footage is obtained, the integrated AI system would be able to accurately determine what species of animal the rover is currently examining, helping researchers get a full view of animal habits at any and all times of day.
Another aspect that separates the Low-Light Detection Robot from traditional trail camera technology is its mobility. Existing trail cameras are stationary objects that must be placed in fixed locations and can only monitor animal activity within their set radius. With their device being a rover, Sunny Squad’s robot can traverse terrain freely, resulting in more comprehensive data and analysis of animal activity. The team also worked hard to ensure that all this technology could be housed within a small, low-profile shell that would not disturb or startle animals as it moves.
Whilst developing their device, the team also took careful consideration to ensure that the rover would be affordable compared to other alternatives such as drones, as well as less invasive and disruptive to the animals than traditional GPS and tracking collars.
Throughout the process, the team was forced to overcome several challenges, including losing two of their team members, but with their immense determination as well as support from Dr. Votion, Dr. Jin, Dr. Petersen, and Professor Allo, the team was able to bring their vision to life, and are ready to showcase their work at the upcoming Tech Symposium.
There's going to be roadblocks, problems, and days where nothing goes right and that's just part of the process. But if you're truly set on pursuing engineering, don't let those moments overwhelm you. Keep moving forward.
-Jeffry Rodarte
In addition to help the team received from Klesse College faculty, the Makerspace and its helpful staff also played an integral role in this project by helping provide and produce the parts necessary for the rover’s completion.
Be sure to stop by the Spring 2026 Tech Symposium to hear from Team Sunny Squad firsthand about their project and what their plans are going forward!
— Storm Goodman
