SMG LLC is monitoring temperature and humidity in the cold and  corrosive environment of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Penguin Exhibit.

Wireless sensors were used because:

1. the exhibit could not be closed for cabling
2. cables could not be laid through the exhibit
3. the sensor locations could change week to week.

The temperature is measured in 6 places including a sensor on
the roof for external temperature. We sample temperatures every 5 minutes and send the data via email to the zookeepers.

Warning messages are also generated and sent to the keeper's cell phone if specific user-defined conditions occur (e.g. exhibit's internal temperature goes above a certain level )

Data can also be sent to and displayed on a webpage.

An additional problem arose. The cold environment in the exhibit is not conducive to long battery life. Because of the 5 minute sampling rate, battery replacement occurred every 8 months.

One of the wireless sensors was in a hard-to-reach area above the exhibit. To solve that issue, we deployed a Radio Frequency transmitter / power harvester from PowerCast to re-charge the batteries from a distance. It works well and is charging the batteries currently.

Additional value was realized from the extra temperature data. A $5,000 planned wall was no longer needed when it was determined that it would not have appreciable effect on temperatures and the source of the problem was elsewhere.

RF power is successfully transmitted to recharge the batteries in the hard-to-reach wireless sensors in the penguin exhibit.