Photo: Emily Ringer / Polar Bears International
Burr-on-fur

Tech Innovations

Our team is known for adapting emerging technology to polar bear research and conservation.

How do researchers study polar bears on the sea ice? Or figure out how to find dens under the snow?

Field methods have come a long way from the early days, when scientists would camp in tents in the numbing cold, studying the bears through binoculars. With the advent of GPS collars and other new technology, biologists have made enormous strides — but many questions and challenges remain.

Thanks to a curious, tech-savvy staff and a range of creative partners, our team has earned a reputation for innovative research methods. These novel approaches not only benefit polar bears, but have implications for other wildlife species.

Find out about some of our recent tech advances, including some still in the testing phase.

Our Projects

Bear-dar installed on a building rooftop in Eureka, Nunavut, Canada, with the water in the background

Bear-dar: Early Detection Radar

Polar Bears International is collaborating with Spotter Global to create an early alert radar system that alerts communities and remote camps when a bear is approaching.

Kyle Garrett of Brigham Young University flying a drone.

Polar Bear Deterrents

What are the best ways to keep people and polar bears safe when their paths cross?

Burr-on-Fur Crimp Tracking Device Prototype installed on polar bear fur - Erinn Hermsen

Burr-on-Fur

A smaller, lighter polar bear tracker opens up new possibilities.

Solar panels used in maternal den study, Svalbard, Norway

Den Emergence Study

This collaborative maternal den study is the first to combine satellite tracking collars with remote camera traps, offering a unique look at polar bear denning behaviour in the Arctic.

BJ Kirschhoffer and Jeff Stacey, a graduate student from Simon Fraser University, load the SAR unit into the helicopter for testing in Svalbard - Kt Miller

Den Detection Tools

Our team is researching whether synthetic aperture radar, attached to an aircraft, can be used to find polar bear dens hidden under the snow.

Articles

Bear-dar screenshot, Eureka
Human-Polar Bear Coexistence

Bear-dar Prevents a Surprise Encounter with Polar Bears

An innovative AI radar system has successfully prevented an encounter between people and polar bears for the first time.

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Article | 2 min | Jun 11, 2026

Looking out from inside a maternal polar bear den dug into snow drift - Daniel J. Cox
About Polar Bears

Uncovering the secrets of polar bear dens

Learn about the history of Polar Bears International's maternal den research.

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Article | 7 min | Mar 2, 2026

Mother bear with 2 coys lying next to branch
About Polar Bears

Share the Science to Protect Moms and Cubs

This International Polar Bear Day, you can help protect moms and cubs by sharing what we know about polar bear denning. When you share this science, you are supporting informed decision making and elevating the needs of denning polar bear families.

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Article | 4 min | Feb 11, 2026