scholarly journals Robotic ecology: Tracking small dynamic animals with an autonomous aerial vehicle

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (23) ◽  
pp. eaat8409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver M. Cliff ◽  
Debra L. Saunders ◽  
Robert Fitch
Keyword(s):  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
Robotic Systems ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Estimation Algorithms ◽  
Winter Range ◽  
Limited Success ◽  
Radio Transmitters ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Bayesian Data Fusion ◽  
Correct Estimate

Understanding animal movements that underpin ecosystem processes is fundamental to ecology. Recent advances in animal tags have increased the ability to remotely locate larger species; however, this technology is not suitable for up to 70% of the world’s bird and mammal species. The most widespread technique for tracking small animals is to manually locate low-power radio transmitters from the ground with handheld equipment. Despite this labor-intensive technique being used for decades, efforts to reduce or automate this process have had limited success. Here, we present an approach for tracking small radio-tagged animals by using an autonomous and lightweight aerial robot. We present experimental results where we used the robot to locate critically endangered swift parrots (Lathamus discolor) within their winter range. The system combines a miniaturized sensor with newly developed estimation algorithms to yield unambiguous bearing- and range-based measurements with associated measures of uncertainty. We incorporated these measurements into Bayesian data fusion and information-based planning algorithms to control the position of the robot as it collected data. We report estimated positions that lie within about 50 meters of the true positions of the birds on average, which are sufficiently accurate for recapture or observation. Further, in comparison with experienced human trackers from locations where the signal was detectable, the robot produced a correct estimate as fast or faster than the human. These results provide validation of robotic systems for wildlife radio telemetry and suggest a way for widespread use as human-assistive or autonomous devices.

The effects of translocation on the spatial ecology of tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus) in a suburban landscape

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 165 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Butler ◽  
B. Malone ◽  
N. Clemann
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Private Property ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Perceived Risks ◽  
Radio Transmitters ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Suburban Landscape ◽  
Very High

In many suburban parts of Australia the removal of snakes from private property by licenced snake catchers is employed to mitigate perceived risks to humans and their pets. The number of snakes translocated around greater Melbourne, Victoria, each year can be very high (at least many hundreds). However, the effects of translocation on the behaviour and welfare of individual snakes, and the impact on existing snake populations at release sites are unknown. We used radio-telemetry of ‘resident’ and translocated snakes to investigate the consequences of translocation on the spatial ecology of tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus) in a suburban parkland near Melbourne. Fourteen snakes (two female and four male residents, and four female and four male translocated snakes) implanted with radio-transmitters were tracked between spring 2002 and autumn 2003. Translocated snakes exhibited home ranges ~6 times larger than those of residents, although each group maintained core ranges of similar size. Translocated snakes travelled longer distances and were often located in residential areas adjacent to the park, whereas resident snakes were never located outside of the park.

Universal Navigation Algorithm Planning Platform for Unmanned Systems

2010 ◽  
Vol 164 ◽  
pp. 405-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raivo Sell ◽  
Priit Leomar
Keyword(s):  
Route Planning ◽  
Action Planning ◽  
Robotic Systems ◽  
Unmanned Ground Vehicle ◽  
Ground Vehicle ◽  
Navigation Algorithm ◽  
Vehicle Systems ◽  
Message Exchange ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Platform Development

The paper deals with route planning and message exchange platform development for unmanned vehicle systems like Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Existing solutions for both types of vehicles are discussed and analyzed. Based on existing solution an unified concept is introduced. In this paper we present the study where the universal navigation algorithm planning platform is developed aiming to provide common platform for different unmanned mobile robotic systems. The platform is independent from the application and the target software. The navigation and action planning activity is brought to the abstract layer and specific interfaces are used to produce the target oriented code, describing two different test platforms are presented and co-operation scenarios.

scholarly journals Safe Documentation of Historical Monuments by an Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 738
Author(s):  
Vít Krátký ◽  
Pavel Petráček ◽  
Tiago Nascimento ◽  
Michaela Čadilová ◽  
Milan Škobrtal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Laser Scanner ◽  
Robotic Systems ◽  
Historical Buildings ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Historical Monuments ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
The Church

The use of robotic systems, especially multi-rotor aerial vehicles, in the documentation of historical buildings and cultural heritage monuments has become common in recent years. However, the teleoperated robotic systems have significant limitations encouraging the ongoing development of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The autonomous robotic platforms provide a more accurate and safe measurement in distant and difficult to access areas than their teleoperated counterpart. Through the use of autonomous aerial robotic systems, access to such places by humans and building of external infrastructures like scaffolding for documentation purposes is no longer necessary. In this work, we aim to present a novel autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle designed for the documentation of hardly attainable areas of historical buildings. The prototype of this robot was tested in several historical monuments comprising scanned objects located in dark and hardly accessible areas in the upper parts of tall naves. This manuscript presents the results from two specific places: the Church of St. Anne and St. Jacob the Great in Stará Voda, and St. Maurice Church in Olomouc, both in the Czech Republic. Finally, we also compare the three-dimensional map obtained with the measurements made by the 3D laser scanner carried onboard UAV against the ones performed by a 3D terrestrial laser scanner.

scholarly journals Postbreeding Movements of American Avocets and Implications for Wetland Connectivity in the Western Great Basin

The Auk ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 290-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan H. Plissner ◽  
Susan M. Haig ◽  
Lewis W. Oring
Keyword(s):  
Great Basin ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
The United States ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Stopover Sites ◽  
Radio Transmitters ◽  
Recurvirostra Americana ◽  
A Site

Abstract Wetlands in the western Great Basin of the United States are patchily distributed and undergo extensive seasonal and annual variation in water levels. The American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) is one of many shorebird species that use these wetlands as breeding and migratory stopover sites and must adjust to variable conditions. We used radio telemetry to determine postbreeding, premigratory movement patterns of avocets throughout the region. In 1996 and 1997, 185 breeding adults were captured and fitted with radio transmitters at five breeding areas in Oregon, California, and Nevada. Regular aerial and ground surveys were conducted at the five main study areas from June through September, or until all avocets had left a site. Other wetlands in the western Great Basin also were surveyed by aircraft for the presence of radio-marked birds. Fifty-six percent of radio-marked avocets were still detected in the region at least eight weeks after capture. Each of these individuals was detected at an average of 2.1 lakes (range 0 to 6), with 74% found at more than one lake system. Forty radio-marked individuals moved at least 200 km between wetlands prior to migration, most of which dispersed northward. Male and female patterns did not differ significantly. Overall, movements may be associated with a prebasic molt, exploitation of a superabundant food source in northern lakes, and reconnaissance for future breeding efforts or staging sites. These results also demonstrate wide-ranging patterns of dispersal in this species and suggest a need for the consideration of large-scale habitat connectivity issues in establishing conservation strategies for shorebirds in the western Great Basin.

Temperatures Selected in a Power Plant Thermal Effluent by Adult Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) in Winter

1982 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 346-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marvin Jon Ross ◽  
Donald B. Siniff
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Mississippi River ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
Perca Flavescens ◽  
Winter Temperature ◽  
Temperature Selection ◽  
Thermal Requirements ◽  
Radio Transmitters ◽  
Response To Temperature

Winter-temperature selection by yellow perch (Perca flavescens) was monitored by radio telemetry near the thermal discharge from a power plant on the Upper Mississippi River. Ten fish were equipped with temperature-sensing radio transmitters. Temperature selection was monitored with an automatic recording system and manually with standard radio frequency receivers. The selected mean winter temperature for all locations was 5.4 °C; when fish were in the discharge area mean temperature selected was 6.3 °C. Ninety-one percent of the temperatures was recorded from fish in the discharge bay. Response to temperature varied greatly among individual fish, and they selected significantly lower temperatures in the field than in laboratory experiments. These field-selected temperatures correspond closely to those required for gametogenesis and spawning success in this species.Key words: Perca flavescens, thermal requirements, radio telemetry, temperature selection

An assessment of radio telemetry for monitoring shorebird chick survival and causes of mortality

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Lees ◽  
Tom Schmidt ◽  
Craig D. H. Sherman ◽  
Grainne S. Maguire ◽  
Peter Dann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
Radio Tracking ◽  
Chick Survival ◽  
Promising Technique ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Data Loggers ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Radio Transmitters ◽  
Causes Of Mortality

Abstract ContextMonitoring survival of free-living precocial avian young is critical for population management, but difficult to achieve. Perhaps the most promising technique available to track survival is the deployment of devices such as radio-transmitters or data loggers, which allow for tracking of the individuals. AimsTo understand if the deployment of radio-transmitters or the process of radio-tracking negatively impact chick survival by analysing survival of tagged chicks. MethodsFifty masked lapwing (Vanellus miles), 42 red-capped plover (Charadrius ruficapillus) and 27 hooded plover (Thinornis cucullatus) chicks were radio-tracked. Mortality between tagged and untagged chicks within broods was compared to examine whether radio-telemetry influenced chick survival. Key resultsThere was no statistically significant difference in survival between chicks with and without radio-transmitters. Radio-transmitters enabled the determination of cause of death for 0–28% of radio-tagged chicks. ConclusionThe survival of shorebird chicks does not appear to be affected by attachment of transmitters. ImplicationsRadio-tracking remains a promising way of studying the movement and survival of shorebird chicks, and is helpful but not reliable for assigning the cause of mortality.

scholarly journals Comparative Monte Carlo Analysis of Background Estimation Algorithms for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Detection

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 870
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Matczak ◽  
Przemyslaw Mazurek
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Nearest Neighbor ◽  
Monte Carlo Analysis ◽  
K Nearest Neighbor ◽  
Background Estimation ◽  
Estimation Algorithms ◽  
Monte Carlo Studies ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Mixture Of Gaussian

Background estimation algorithms are important in UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) vision tracking systems. Incorrect selection of an algorithm and its parameters leads to false detections that must be filtered by the tracking algorithm of objects, even if there is only one UAV within the visibility range. This paper shows that, with the use of genetic optimization, it is possible to select an algorithm and its parameters automatically. Background estimation algorithms (CNT (CouNT), GMG (Godbehere-Matsukawa-Goldberg), GSOC (Google Summer of Code 2017), MOG (Mixture of Gaussian), KNN (K–Nearest Neighbor–based Background/Foreground Segmentation Algorithm), MOG2 (Mixture of Gaussian version 2), and MEDIAN) and the reference algorithm of thresholding were tested. Monte Carlo studies were carried out showing the advantages of the MOG2 algorithm for UAV detection. An empirical sensitivity analysis was presented that rejected the MEDIAN algorithm.

scholarly journals Movements and use of space by Mangrove Cuckoos (Coccyzus minor) in Florida, USA

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3534
Author(s):  
John David Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Mangrove Forest ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
The Body ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Southwest Florida ◽  
Radio Transmitters ◽  
History Of ◽  
Initial Description

I used radio-telemetry to track the movements of Mangrove Cuckoos (Coccyzus minor) captured in southwest Florida. Relatively little is known about the natural history of Mangrove Cuckoos, and my goal was to provide an initial description of how individuals use space, with a focus on the size and placement of home ranges. I captured and affixed VHF radio-transmitters to 32 individuals between 2012 and 2015, and obtained a sufficient number of relocations from 16 of them to estimate home-range boundaries and describe patterns of movement. Home-range area varied widely among individuals, but in general was roughly four times larger than expected based on the body size of Mangrove Cuckoos. The median core area (50% isopleth) of a home range was 42 ha (range: 9–91 ha), and the median overall home range (90% isopleth) was 128 ha (range: 28–319 ha). The median distance between estimated locations recorded on subsequent days was 298 m (95% CI [187 m–409 m]), but variation within and among individuals was substantial, and it was not uncommon to relocate individuals >1 km from their location on the previous day. Site fidelity by individual birds was low; although Mangrove Cuckoos were present year-round within the study area, I did not observe any individuals that remained on a single home range throughout the year. Although individual birds showed no evidence of avoiding anthropogenic edges, they did not incorporate developed areas into their daily movements and home ranges consisted almost entirely of mangrove forest. The persistence of the species in the study area depended on a network of conserved lands–mostly public, but some privately conserved land as well–because large patches of mangrove forest did not occur on tracts left unprotected from development.

scholarly journals Movements and use of space by Mangrove Cuckoos (Coccyzus minor) in Florida, USA

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Mangrove Forest ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
The Body ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Southwest Florida ◽  
Radio Transmitters ◽  
History Of ◽  
Initial Description

I used radio-telemetry to track the movements of Mangrove Cuckoos (Coccyzus minor) captured in southwest Florida. Relatively little is known about the natural history of Mangrove Cuckoos, and my goal was to provide an initial description of how individuals use space, with a focus on the size and placement of home ranges. I captured and affixed VHF radio-transmitters to 32 individuals between 2012 and 2015, and obtained a sufficient number of relocations from 16 of them to estimate home-range boundaries and describe patterns of movement. Home-range area varied widely among individuals, but in general, was roughly four times larger than expected based on the body size of Mangrove Cuckoos. The median core area (50% isopleth) of a home range was 42 ha (range: 9 – 91 ha), and the median overall home range (90% isopleth) was 128 ha (range: 28 – 319 ha). The median distance between estimated locations recorded on subsequent days was 298 m (95% CI = 187 m – 409 m), but variation within and among individuals was substantial, and it was not uncommon to relocate individuals >1 km from their location on the previous day. Site fidelity by individual birds was low; although Mangrove Cuckoos were present year-round within the study area, I did not observe any individuals that remained on a single home range throughout the year. Although individual birds showed no evidence of avoiding anthropogenic edges, they did not incorporate developed areas into their daily movements and home ranges consisted almost entirely of mangrove forest. The persistence of the species in the study area depended on a network of conserved lands – mostly public, but some privately conserved land as well – because large patches of mangrove forest did not occur on tracts left unprotected from development.

Using radio telemetry to evaluate the depths inhabited by Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii)

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 317 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Koehn
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Errors ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Vertical Position ◽  
Depth Measurement ◽  
Depth Sensors ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Radio Transmitters ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Murray Cod

Radio telemetry is widely used in studies of freshwater fishes, but the vertical position of fish in riverine environments is rarely reported. The present study tested the application of radio transmitters fitted with depth sensors to determine the vertical position of Murray cod in the lower Ovens River in south-eastern Australia. As the scale of depths in rivers is usually limited (<10 m in the present study), there is a greater need to assess measurement error. The study first involved trials to define depth measurement errors, and a mean relative bias of 9% (range 1.5–14.8%) towards greater depth was recorded. These data were then used to correct the depths recorded from tagged fish. Although data from this preliminary study are somewhat limited, results from the tagged fish showed that by day they all occupied the lower 15% of the water column, indicating that Murray cod exhibit demersal behaviour, using bottom rather than mid-water habitats. Although the present study highlights the importance of tag trials in determining errors, it also indicates the potential application of this technique to understanding the depth-integrated habitat preferences of Murray cod and other species.

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