About – HARDSHELL LABS

Hardshell Labs, Inc., (“HSL”) founded and led by biologist Timothy A. Shields, has developed deep knowledge of avian perception, behavioral patterns, memory, and social learning. Shields founded HSL to conserve indigenous wildlife and to offer humane, commercially viable techniques for avian damage control at facilities affected by bird predation, including: protecting high value agricultural crops; deterring infestations at landfill and composting installations; mitigating power tower nesting sites; and, supporting military and civilian airport BASH prevention programs.

A short short story from Tim Shields: As the 2011 field season in the Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area drew to a close I had seen no sign of small tortoises. On a plot that had had 175 tortoises in 1979, I found only 17 in 60 days of searching, and the youngest of these was probably 15 years old. Where were the little guys? One day in May, a volunteer came to me to report that she had finally seen one. She clearly saw it waving its legs, trying to escape from the beak of the raven that was carrying it to its doom. That was the only juvenile tortoise we saw that year and it marked a turning point in my life.

All solutions addressed are under continuing research and development by HSL’s engineering, biology, field and business team members, and in conjunction with partner research organizations. Hardshell Labs has successfully delivered services contracts to protect commercial pistachio acreage against ravens/crows, as well as several protecting and conserving indigenous wildlife in varied settings. Please explore this site’s Waste Management, Conservation, and Other Commercial and Agricultural service pages for more detail.

Among the new tools and techniques being used in HSL’s field applications are laser- and aerial-drone-centered avian repulsion, as well as 3D printed predator lures and remote sensor pods for facility and environmental monitoring. This year HSL is adding internet connected wildlife observation devices and systems. Hardshell Labs has invested in advanced design and technology development, and logged extensive field trials and operational use of remote nest treatment devices, including aerial drones equipped with HSL’s patent pending application system, and is developing AI (artificial Intelligence) capabilities.

Tim Shields

Tim Shields’ lifelong fascination with and love for reptiles led him to a 35-year career as a desert tortoise researcher, principally in the Mojave Desert. The population crash that he subsequently witnessed, and his understanding of the causes of that catastrophic decline, drove him to search for ways to aid the desert tortoise in its struggle to survive.

Pursuing this path, Hardshell Labs discovered several very promising technologies to help the tortoise, and is applying them to that task. Most recently, Hardshell has developed and is discovering other commercial and conservation applications for its technologies and approaches. Among these uses are remote egg oiling (REO) to reduce raven reproductive success, effective hazing of the birds with lasers and aerial drones, and the use of highly realistic tortoise models (Techno-tortoises™) to deliver aversive experiences to tortoise-killing ravens to dissuade them from further attacks.

Successfully limiting the damage by ravens and other pest birds has made HSL aware that similar methods can be adapted to reduce damage to many resources valuable to people, and the company has evolved from focusing solely conservation into one dedicated more broadly to avian damage control, whatever the asset at risk.

For the immediate future, Hardshell Labs is rapidly expanding its existing commercial pistachio protection services in California, and its other conservation oriented commitments in desert tortoise protection where it leads the way in developing and deploying remote egg oiling applications as well as Techno-Tort™ decoys/deterrents.

As to its future vision, HSL finds exciting opportunities for active citizen engagement in conservation work. The devices the company is developing are powerful tools for doing conservation and resource protection. But equipping these devices with internet connectivity and other forms of remote control will greatly broaden the number of people who can participate. By remotely using Hardshell devices deployed in the field, participants will learn about the Earth, its wonders and threatened treasures, and contribute to protecting those resources.

Ravens Flee Laser

To be clear, the technology exists to connect operators from around the world with Hardshell Lab technology. The company has already demonstrated this with the Guardian Angel Rover, a device used to observe desert tortoise behavior from a camera equipped, internet connected, rock crawling vehicle. Hardshell Labs intends to turn these high-tech windows on the natural world into portals through which everyone can come to know their planet and playfully contribute to its well-being. Humans love to play and Hardshell Labs is going to create conservation games to provide fun while generating a positive outcome for the world.