E-Track
EGNOS and EDAS Enhanced Tracking of Animal Movement and Behaviour
Background & Objectives
Ecologists, including nature park managers, are increasingly interested in monitoring animal behaviour. Responses of wildlife to habitat changes and disturbing incidents are relevant when managing the wildlife, in order to prevent unwanted 'interactions' like traffic accidents, crop damage and spreading of contagious diseases. Automatic behaviour detection requires an adequate tempo-spatial resolution, not previously offered by animal tracking devices.
Why this project is important for EGNOS/GSA/SatNav?
The useful detection of animal movement and behaviour requires high resolution positioning as can be delivered through EGNOS. E-Track uses the benefits that EGNOS and EDAS bring to this field.
Objectives
The proposed E-TRACK project aims at delivering an end-to-end solution for animal tracking and behaviour analysis of wildlife. The project will take advantage of the latest developments in miniaturisation of GNSS receivers, in energy management and power supply, in data logging and transmission and in data analysis techniques. E-TRACK will use EGNOS and/or EDAS to get reliable high-resolution location data on individual animals. The system will consist of receivers adapted for use on wild animals (rugged, light weight, low power, in collars or backpacks or other mounts, etc.), a data transmission system (e.g. offline / uplink / real-time) and a software package for data visualisation and analysis.
How does it work?
E-Track is developing an integrated system composed of tracking device, data acquisition, data processing, analysis and visualisation modules. Its modular set-up allows adaption to other animal types or other uses. The so-called GNSS tags attached to animals can use the EGNOS / EDAS augmentation signal either on-board or in post-processing.
Next Steps
In 2013 E-Track will conduct several field tests using the EGNOS enabled animal tags.
Work performed & results
The expected results from E-Track are:
- EGNOS enhanced animal GNSS tags, with on-board or post-processing improvement of positional accuracy;
- (Near) real-time data acquisition from tagged animals;
- User software to visualise and analyse animal tracks;
- Algorithms to derive behaviour from tracks;
- Integrated 'End-to-End' system of hardware, data acquisition and analysis software.
Resources
EGNOS Enhanced Tracking of Animal Movement and Behaviour
Satellite-based animal tracking systems enable high spatial and temporal resolution to discover animal behaviour. E-Track develops an innovative hardware and software system that enables animal behaviour analysis using EGNOS-enabled GNSS tags. Making use of the latest technology, wild and domestic animals can be tracked to obtain new insights in their whereabouts, habitat use and behaviour. We focus on solving the problems that are most pressing to users and most important in terms of other stakeholder interests.
E-Track Photo Gallery
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Cow with tag
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Swan with tag
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E-track workshop
