Sustaining Production of the SMRT Tag
Abstract
ONR BAA Announcement #N00014-24-S-B001Project Abstract # Approved for Public ReleaseIn a collaborative project funded by the Officeof Naval Research, Wildlife Computers successfully designed and manufactured prototype Sound and Motion Telemetry (SMRT) tags as a tool to monitor the behavioral responses of toothed and baleen whales to anthropogenic disturbance. The SMRT tag archives high-rate acoustic, 3D-accelerometry, and 3D-magnetometry data, and high-resolution depth and temperature data coupled with Fastloc® GPS snapshots. The tag is attached to the animal using four transdermal darts and is currently the only tag that can provide the longer-termrecords needed to collect baseline and post-disturbance data on whales; retention of comparable tags attached with suction cups is typically less than 48 hours. A corrodible pin that enables the tag to popoff the animal when a programmed time or condition is met, and an Argos transmitter that sends limited data during and after the deployment aid in tag recovery. SMRT tags are the most complicated tags produced by Wildlife Computers, yet they have consistently worked well in the field, providing records of up to 12 days of reliable depth, temperature, sound and motion data. These longer-term records are necessary to understand the impact of Navy operations on cetacean behavior and fitness.Due to the tag#s complexity, Wildlife Computers has been unable to produce SMRT tags in large quantities and make the tags commercially available with predictable lead times. Much of the work of building, testing, and troubleshooting still falls on skilled engineers, working on one tag at a time. In addition, supply chain disruptions and parts obsolescence has necessitated redesign of the Sound and Motion (S/M) module that controls the acquisition of the high-rate acoustic, accelerometer and magnetometer data.To provide SMRT tags to support the Navy#s need for longer-term behavioral response studies, we propose to test and validateoperation of the revised S/M module in our SMRT tag design. We will work closely with Dr. Mark Johnson, who developed the S/M module, and Greg Schorr, who has the most experience programming, deploying, and recovering SMRT tags and analyzing the data, to establish new test-acceptance criteria for the redesigned S/M module and help us improve the User Experience. We will refine and update the build and test processes in order to streamline manufacturing and transition the work from our Engineering to Production team. Once the redesigned S/M module has been fully-tested and incorporated into the SMRT tag design, we will implement a minimum sustaining rate of production of six field-ready SMRT tags every three months. This will enable Wildlife Computers to respond to requests for quotes and provide SMRT tags with predictable delivery dates. The increased and consistent availability of SMRT tags should significantly improve the ability of researchers to monitor cetacean behavior before, during and after anthropogenic disturbance.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Nov 08, 2024
- Source ID
- N000142412413
Entities
People
- Melinda Holland
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- Wildlife Computers (United States)