HERD · Research

An open lab listening to the planet.

The Earth speaks below the range of human hearing — before tsunamis, before eruptions, before storms. HERD Research is the umbrella for everything we do to learn that language: sensors, deterrents, datasets and open science. One mission, many ears.

Why we exist

Nature already has an early-warning system. We're building the receiver.

Elephants ran uphill minutes before the 2004 tsunami reached Khao Lak. Birds flee tornadoes a day in advance. The signal is infrasound — pressure waves below 20 Hz that travel hundreds of kilometres. It has been measured by science for decades, but almost nobody is listening at the coastline, where minutes save lives.

HERD Research develops low-cost, open acoustic technology for coexistence with the ocean and the planet: hearing danger earlier, and protecting people from wildlife — and wildlife from people — without nets, chemicals or harm.

Elephant sensing infrasound through its feet
Programs portfolio

One institute, one mission — four ways of listening.

Every HERD project, sponsorship offer and donation ask lives under a single story: build low-cost, open technology that hears the planet and protects both people and wildlife. Here is everything we run, from the flagship network to early-stage research.

Start reading

Dive into the library.

270+ vetted sources across 13 topics — these six are the best doors in:

All 13 topics & 270+ sources →
How we work

Principles we won't trade away.

Open by default

Hardware schematics, data and lab notes are published as we go. Anyone can verify, replicate or improve our work — that is the point.

Honest science

We say "experiment" when it's an experiment. No certified-alarm promises, no miracle claims. Negative results get published too.

Humane technology

We protect people from wildlife and wildlife from people. No harm to animals: deterrence over destruction, coexistence over control.

Citizen-first

The network belongs to the people who host it. Low-cost devices, transparent economics, and data that serves the coastline it comes from.

How to support

Fund the listening — pick the door that fits you.

HERD is run by HERD Network, LLC — a small for-profit research company, not a charity. We're honest about that: below are the real ways money reaches the mission, and exactly what each one does.

Individuals

Donate any amount

Give once, by card — $5 to $200 or a custom amount. It funds parts, field trials and open data across the whole portfolio. No equity, no refund once spent; not a tax-deductible charitable gift.

Donate →
Companies & CSR

Sponsor a program

Fund a specific program and get brand deliverables back — logo placement, named stations, a CSR report your finance team can usually book as a marketing / CSR expense. Bronze / Silver / Gold tiers and bespoke R&D packages.

Support & partner →
Grants & patrons

Back the mission

Foundations, science patrons and public programs: grants, a named research center, and — for tax-deductible mission gifts — a fiscal-sponsor route (Open Collective, being set up). Let's structure it together.

Talk to us →

Honest note: contributions to HERD Network, LLC are not tax-deductible charitable donations. Company sponsorships with deliverables are normally a legitimate marketing / CSR expense (confirm with your accountant). For genuinely tax-deductible mission giving we're setting up a fiscal sponsor (a 501(c)(3) host via Open Collective) — ask us for the current status. See the full menu on the Support page.

Who is behind this

A small team in Phuket, in memory of December 26, 2004.

HERD Research is led by founder Artem Podelenko and built in the open from Bang Tao, Phuket — the coastline that learned the price of ten minutes the hard way. We collaborate with scientists, hotels, developers and citizens; if your work touches bioacoustics, marine biology or disaster resilience, we'd like to hear from you.

Partnerships & research: [email protected]