SeaTagtm-RC: Remote Releasable Instrument Carrier for Marine Mammal Tagging

Abstract

The SeaTag-RC(TM) is going to be part of our SeaTag(TM) line of animal tags (Figure 1). Our goal for these tags is to offer a variety of options for positioning and data collection and to make retrieving and processing that data as seamless as possible. The entire line consists of the following in addition to the RC: * SeaTag-GEO(TM), a small solar powered geolocation tag that uses earth's magnetic field strength along with light levels to calculate it's position. * SeaTag-MOD(TM), a modular Argos satellite transmitting tag that will have optional payload sections along with a release mechanism based on the one developed for the SeaTag(TM)-RC. * SeaTag-SOL(TM), a lifetime animal tag with wireless networking along with a variety of sensors building on the positioning capabilities of the SeaTag-Geo(TM). * SeaTag-CAM(TM), a solar powered camera running Linux that sends back images via Satellite using Argos by breaking the image into pieces and sending them over a period of a week. Our plan is to develop the basic capabilities of these devices first and then add additional capabilities and tags after refining the core technology blocks. All of the tags besides the GEO, including our camera tag, will have the ability to be software upgraded to a mesh networking capability using their Zigbee RF modules. This kind of software upgrade will eventually allow for the Argos enabled tags to act as access points for other tags to get their data back to the scientists studying the animals they?re on. This will probably first be implemented using SeaTag-CAM(TM) units placed around animal colonies as hotspots that aggregate animal data after it bounces down the beach from animal to animal. These cameras could then transmit this data via satellite or store it until the camera is retrieved and only transmit images.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2010
Accession Number
ADA541792

Entities

People

  • Marco Flagg

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Sensors
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Animals
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Cameras
  • Cells
  • Circuit Boards
  • Detectors
  • Electronics
  • Energy Consumption
  • Engineering
  • Firmware
  • Mammals
  • Marine Mammals
  • Navigation
  • Prototypes
  • Release Mechanisms
  • Solar Panels
  • Systems Engineering

Readers

  • Computer Networking
  • Computer Science/Computer Engineering/Data Science/Digital Signal Processing.
  • Marine Mammal Biology

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Satellites