A team of innovators led by Rasmus W. Havmøller over at the University of Copenhagen at Denmark have collaborated with experts at the Technical University of Denmark and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany to design a high-tech wildlife tracker that harnesses its power from animals' movements, enabling long-term monitoring without the use of a battery.
Dubbed the 'KineFox,' this wildlife tracker is designed to fitted onto a collar placed around the animal, and is capable of automatically winding itself when it moves along with the animal. The gadget is embedded with a capacitator that stashes kinetic energy generated by the animal, and can convey GPS readings via a wireless network.
"The more an animal moves, the more energy it generates and the more GPS location messages it sends," Havmøller explained. "Unless the equipment itself breaks, it will work throughout an animal's lifetime"
What's more, the tracker only weighs some 150 grams, making it lighter than typical GPS wildlife trackers and more convenient for use on smaller animals.
Image Credit: Rasmus W. Havmøller
What's Driving This Trend
- Kinetic Energy Tracking
- Developing wildlife trackers that harness kinetic energy from animal movements presents an opportunity for long-term monitoring without the need for batteries.
- Wireless GPS Communication
- Enabling wildlife trackers to convey GPS readings via wireless networks revolutionizes the way animals can be tracked and monitored.
- Lightweight Wildlife Trackers
- Creating lightweight trackers opens up possibilities for monitoring smaller animals more conveniently and effectively.
Who This Affects Most
- Wildlife Conservation
- The conservation industry can leverage kinetic energy tracking to monitor animals' behavior and habitats in a non-invasive, long-term manner.
- GPS Technology
- The GPS technology industry can explore the potential of wireless GPS communication in the context of wildlife tracking, enabling precise and real-time data collection.
- Animal Research
- In the field of animal research, lightweight wildlife trackers can provide researchers with valuable insights into the behavior and movements of smaller animal species.
