New Animal Tracking Devices Harness Animal Movement
Scientists rely on tracking devices to study wildlife behavior and aid conservation efforts. However, the current battery-powered trackers have numerous drawbacks, including high costs, short battery life, and awkward design that stresses the wearers. Danish biologist Rasmus Worsøe Havmøller, his colleagues at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, and engineer Troels Gregersen collaborated to overcome these limitations, developing a tracker that converts the wearer’s movement into electrical power.
Inspired by self-charging smartwatches, the research team adapted a tiny generator from a Swiss smartwatch to power animal trackers. This innovative generator converts side-to-side movement into an electromagnetic current, storing it in a durable lithium supercapacitor that can endure up to 40 times more charge cycles than a standard lithium battery. The researchers integrated the new battery with a low-power GPS tracker, accelerometer, and a tiny computer in a waterproof, fang-resistant case. Weighing just 150.25 g, the lightweight tracker can be worn by animals as small as striped skunks.
The researchers initially tested the technology on their own pet dogs, attaching it to collars or harnesses. To their surprise, just an hour and a half of dog-walking generated enough power for daily GPS location pings. Encouraged by these results, the scientists affixed the new trackers to sturdy wildlife collars worn by a European bison and an Exmoor pony. Both animals produced sufficient energy for regular GPS pings and at least one daily accelerometer reading.
The self-charging animal trackers may eliminate the need for battery replacements during an animal’s lifetime, providing researchers and conservationists with a cost-effective and sustainable solution for long-term wildlife tracking and monitoring. The researchers have generously shared the schematics of the invention, hoping to inspire further advancements by other scientists. They expect ongoing research to improve this technology and make it suitable for smaller animals like bats. The goal is to develop lighter versions that cater to a wide range of species.
Sean Jung Director
1. What are the drawbacks of the current battery-powered trackers? What was developed to overcome such drawbacks?
2. What did the research team do, in paragraph 2? Describe the process.
3. What happened when the researchers tested the technology on animals?
4. What are the impacts of the device, according to the last paragraph?
1. What do you think of a tracker that converts movement into electrical power? Are there other devices that are similar?
2. How would animals would use the small tracker (mentioned in the article)?
3. Which inventions have been the most helpful for animals? What are some inventions that can be invented in the future?
4. Which inventions have been the most helpful for humans? What are some inventions that can be invented in the future?
Scientists rely on tracking devices to study wildlife behavior and aid conservation efforts. However, the current battery-powered trackers have numerous drawbacks, including high costs, short battery life, and awkward design that stresses the wearers. Danish biologist Rasmus Worsøe Havmøller, his colleagues at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, and engineer Troels Gregersen collaborated to overcome these limitations, developing a tracker that converts the wearer’s movement into electrical power.
