Telemetry And GPRS

Technologies in biodiversity
monitoring
High Tech Applications In Tracking
GIS - Interpret data, symbolize trends, model ecological dynamics
Remote Sensing/ Satellite Imagery - Land types, ecological changes
Radio Telemetry- Monitor movements, range, some behavior
Camera traps - Population data, anti-poaching
Audio Traps - Monitor wildlife sounds, reduce poaching conflicts
Drones/ Remote Control – Understand land use, Images of cover
DNA and Genetics - Species Identification, Disease Combat
Smart Phones - Social media, Public information, Elephant Texting
What is TELEMETRY ?
• Telemetry is an automated communications process by which
measurements and other data are collected at remote or inaccessible
points and transmitted to receiving equipment for monitoring.
• The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron =
measure.
• TELECOMMAND -- Systems that need external instructions and data to
operate require the counterpart of telemetry. A telecommand is a
command sent to control a remote system or systems not directly
connected (e.g. via wires) to the place from which the telecommand is
sent.
Example-Control of a TV from the sofa, Remote guidance of weapons or
missiles, Control of a satellite from a ground station, Flying a radio controlled
airplain.
• Transmission of commands
1.Infrared- Infrared light makes up the invisible section of
the electromagnetic spectrum.To transfer the information
from the remote to the receiver, the LED turns the electrical
signals into an invisible beam of infrared light that
corresponds with the binary code and sends this light to the
receiver.
2.Ultrasonic- Ultrasonic is a technology used more frequently
in the past for telecommand.There are four aluminum rods
inside the transmitter that produce high frequency sounds
when they are hit at one end. Each rod is a different length,
which enables them to produce varying sound pitches, which
control the receiving unit.
• TELEMETER- A telemeter is a device used to remotely
measure any quantity. It consists of a  sensor, a transmission
path, and a display, recording, or control device. Telemeters are
the physical devices used in telemetry. 
• Electronic devices are widely used in telemetry and can be
wireless or hard-wired, analog or digital. Other technologies are
also possible, such as mechanical, hydraulic and optical .
TELEMETRY In Biodiversity Monitoring aka
WILDLIFE RADIO TELEMETRY

• Wildlife radio telemetry is the valuable tool to track the

movement and behaviour of animal.
• Telemetry is used to study wildlife, and has been useful for
monitoring threatened species at the individual level.
• Animals under study can be outfitted with instrumentation tags,
which include sensors that measure temperature, diving depth
and duration (for marine animals), speed and location (using GPS
 or Argos packages).
• Telemetry tags can give researchers information about animal
behavior, functions, and their environment. This information is
then either stored (with archival tags) or the tags can send (or
transmit) their information to a satellite or handheld receiving
device. Capturing and marking wild animals can put them at
some risk, so it is important to minimize these impacts.
• This technique uses the transmission of radio signals to locate a
transmitter attached to the animal of interest. It is often used to
obtain location data on the animal's preferred habitat, home
range and to understand population dynamics.
•  Recent advances in technology have improved radio telemetry
techniques by increasing the efficacy of data collection.
Components Of TELEMETRY
• Transmitters
• The operator attaches a transmitter to an animal that gives off unique
electromagnetic radio signals, which allows the animal to be located.
• Transmitters are available in a variety of forms and consist of an antenna, a
power source, and the electronics required to produce a signal.
• Transmitters are chosen based on the behavior, size, and life history of the
specific species being studied.
• In order to reduce the impact of the transmitter on the animal's behavior
and quality of life, transmitters typically weigh no more than five percent of
the animal's body weight. Unfortunately, the smaller the transmitter, the
weaker and shorter-lived it is.
• ransmitters are often designed to fall off the animal at the conclusion of the
study due to the unlikelihood of recapturing the tagged animals.
 Animal On Which It Being
Type Of Transmitter Description
Used
1. Collars Larger Animals In The Form Of Neck Collar.
Animals That Have Changing Neck
2. Ear Tag Transmitters Large Animals
Sizes.
Smaller Animals, Such As
3. Adhesive Transmitters Glued To The Backs Of Smaller Animals.
Bats.
4. Necklace Packs Game Birds Fit Around The Neck Of Birds.
Subcutaneous
5. Aquatic Animals Allow Free Navigation Underwater.
Transmitters
Omni-directional Transmitter, Produces
6. Whip Antennas Animals At Greater Distance
More Signal Over A Greater Distance.
Involves A Transmitter Being Wrapped
7. Harness Loop Antenna  Small Birds
Around The Body.
GAME BIRD
TAG

RADIO
COLLAR
AQUATIC TRANSMITTER

SUBCUTANEOUS
TRANSMITTERS
• Receivers
• The operator uses an antenna that is attached to a receiver, which
is programmed to the transmitter's frequency, to pick up the
electromagnetic signals given off by the transmitter affixed to the
target animal.
• Receiver antennas may be hand-held or mounted on an object, and
they are available in a variety of forms and functions.
• These antennas are also tuned to the proper frequency for the
transmitter.
• The receiver produces a tone that increases in loudness or has a
visual signal strength indicator that pulses as the operator
approaches the transmitter.
 Antenna Type
1. Omnidirectional Antennas
2. Adcock Antennas
3. Loop Antennas
4. Yagi Antennas
5. Tower Antennas
6. Vehicle-mounted Antennas
Purpose
Have no additional elements and are used to
determine the presence or absence of a signal, not its
exact location.
Consist of two elements and are used to locate the
direction of the signal.
Small and useful for locating low frequency
transmitters.
Contains 3 or 4 elements and is a strong, directional
antenna commonly used to determine the location of
a transmitter.
Affixed to towers, positioned higher and avoid
interference from buildings and trees.
Can be mounted to boat, aircraft, and other vehicles,
allow the operator to exploit a larger area while
tracking.
• Tracking
• Direct tracking and triangulation methods allow the operator to locate a tagged animal.
• The three main technologies in use today for tracking wild animals are examined VHF, Satellite
and GPS tracking.

1. Direct or VHF tracking

It involves using a directional antenna to follow the signal given off by
the transmitter to the exact location of the tagged animal. The operator
rotates the antenna until the loudest signal is found. The operator
follows the signal, checking the direction of the signal frequently until
he or she reaches the tagged animal. Triangulation is often used when
an animal is on private or inaccessible property because it allows the
operator to remotely determine the location of the tagged animal. The
operator obtains three or more azimuths or bearings from locations
around the signal and calculates the intersection of the azimuths to
estimate the location of the transmitted animal.
 Taking Azimuth Of VHF Signal

An Illustration Of A Good
Triangulation
Roger Trying To Locate As Signal
With A “Rubber Ducky” Style
Antenna
Figure: Locations of a wild-free-ranging otter accessed on the Internet in real time.

GPS GSM/GPRS Telemetry System: Performance in Stationary Field Tests.

2. The GPS transmitter
Global positioning tracking involves a receiver that picks up
signals from satellites to determine the location of a transmitted
animal over time. The GPS transmitter is attached to an animal
and records the location of the animal on the device by
estimating the time taken for radio signals from at least three
satellites to travel to the GPS transmitter. The data is collected by
recapturing the animal to remove the GPS transmitter or
remotely downloading the data off the transmitter. These units
are often heavier and shorter-lived than the ones used for VHF
tracking. Global positioning tracking is useful for migrating
animals because their locations can accurately be determined,
regardless of the distance they are from the operator.
3. Satellite tracking
Satellite tracking is similar to GPS tracking and allows animal
movement to be tracked globally. This form of tracking is useful for
remote or inaccessible areas. Many of these systems implement
platform terminal transmitters (PTT) that send electromagnetic
signals to Argos equipment found on satellites. The Argos receivers
estimate the distance to the transmitter to determine its location.
This data is received by the Argos data collection relay system. The
PTT transmitters require larger batteries, causing them to be
heavier than VHF transmitters. Satellite tracking is more accurate
at locating larger animals that are more exposed to the sky, such
as birds or animals living in prairies, open deserts, or savannas.
• Satellite telemetry allows researchers to track the movement of an animal by
using orbiting satellites that detect signals emitted from a transmitter
attached to the animal. On the carapace (top shell) of hard-shelled sea turtles,
transmitters are attached with epoxy or fiberglass and resin. The attachment
methods are designed to be harmless and are constantly being improved to
ensure the health and safety of the animals being tracked.
• Success of this technique depends on the satellites' ability to receive the radio
signals from the transmitters. However, signals are not transmitted when the
transmitter is underwater and cannot be received if the satellites are not
within range. Each transmitter has a sensor that detects when the unit is
above water and acts as the unit's "on/off" switch. Switching off while
underwater preserves the battery by allowing transmissions only when the
unit is above water and capable of communicating with satellites. Typically, a
sea turtle's transmitter will be above water only when the turtle surfaces to
breathe. This limitation is one of the main factors influencing the amount and
• The distance between the transmitter and the satellites is calculated based
on the transmitter signals, and the location of the transmitter on the ground
is geometrically determined. Transmitters that have GPS receivers can
collect more precise positional information than those derived from the radio
frequencies alone. Transmitters can be equipped with additional sensors that
measure depth, temperature, and light. Successful transmissions are relayed
from the satellites to receiving stations on the ground where the data are
processed and then provided daily to researchers via the internet.
Researchers typically receive several locations each day, but this may
decrease to several per week as the transmitter battery begins to expire.
Such detailed information allows scientists to track telemetered animals
daily and obtain clues about their behaviour throughout migratory journeys.
Funding for current
satellite telemetry
research is provided
by the National
Marine Fisheries
Service's cooperative
agreement with the
State of Florida as
prescribed by Section
6 of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973
GPRS In Telemetry
• General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet
oriented mobile data service on the 2G and 3G
cellular communication system's global system for
mobile communications (GSM). GPRS was originally
standardized by European Telecommunications
Standards Institute (ETSI) in response to the earlier
CDPD and i-mode packet switched cellular
technologies. It is now maintained by the 3rd
Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
Packet Transfer
• The GPRS-capable handset communicates with
GSM base station.
• Base station sends the GPRS packets to SGSN.
• GPRS packets routing information and handset
location information are updated in other GSM
components, such as HLR.
• SGSN communicates with GGSN.
• GGSN sends the packets to PDNs.
Applications Of WILDLIFE TELEMETRY
• Wildlife radio telemetry has advanced the research opportunities
available for studying animal populations.
• It can be applied to many areas of management and research to
determine the habitat use of tagged animals, such as roost and
foraging habitat preferences.  
• Radio telemetry has been used to study the home range and
movement of populations.
• Specific migratory routes and dispersal behaviour can be followed
through radio tracking. Survivorship is often monitored with radio
telemetry by studying age and mortality rates.
Use a combination of global positioning technology and
accelerometers for measuring an animal’s metabolic inner life in
leaping, running or sleeping
• Insight into migratory patterns
• Diet information
• Habitat Information
• What, When, Where, Why?
• Predicting wild behavior
• Protecting Human interactions
Thank You!