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In the context of conservation science and management, the Judas technique refers to outfitting an animal (a Judas animal) with a radio transmitter or other identifier so that its movements can be tracked to locate conspecifics. Although this term is commonly used, some consider it offensive due to historical associations of the word Judas with anti‐Semitic sentiments. Thus, the term has a negative sentiment polarity (i.e., the assertion that words can have positive, negative, or neutral connotations). We investigated the etymology of the Judas term in peer‐reviewed scientific literature to outline its contextual introduction and use. Prior to the term being co‐opted by conservation scientists Judas [animal] was a common term in the livestock industry to describe animals used to lead herds to slaughter. Subsequently, the term has been published and promulgated through conservation‐related research and the literature. Due to a negative sentiment polarity linked to this term, especially among members of the public, alternative nomenclature may be preferred to increase objective and dispassionate scientific communication.

We present the results of our ground-based astrometric observation campaign of BepiColombo during its Earth fly-by on 2020 April 10. The observational circumstances induced by the fly-by geometry made this event an excellent proxy for a close fly-by or an imminent impact of a natural body with a diameter of a few meters, with the added benefit of having a ground-truth orbit (from radio tracking) to compare with our purely optical orbit determination., The work of TSR was carried out through grant APOSTD/2019/046 by Generalitat Valenciana (Spain). This work was supported by the MINECO (Spanish Ministry of Economy) through grantRTI2018-095076-B-C21 (MINECO/FEDER, UE).

Detecting the arbitrary movements of fast-moving insects under field conditions is notoriously difficult because existing technologies are limited by issues of size, weight, range and cost. Here, we establish proof-of-concept for a prototype long-range, passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging system for detecting bumblebees and similar sized insects. The prototype tags, weighing 81 mg (49% of mean bee body weight), were flown by bumblebees in a glasshouse and detected at a distance of 1.5 m from a 2 W UHF reader with two aerials. This detection distance is two orders of magnitude greater than existing RFID tags that can be flown by medium-sized bees and, thus, is a significant breakthrough for insect tracking that could be applied to plant conservation and restoration efforts in fragmented landscapes. Proof-of-concept has been successfully established and, with further development, we are likely to optimize the system by reducing tag size and weight to limit effects on bee behaviour, and by increasing the detection distance. We envisage the production system being used to detect and track bee movement pathways within a designed network of field-deployed low-cost readers and aerials. The production system could be used in a wide variety of scientific and commercial applications. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13036-019-0143-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Automated vehicles are becoming popular across the communities of e-transportation across the globe. Hybrid electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles have been subjected to critical research for decades. The research outcomes pertinent to this topic in the literature have been motivated by the industry and researchers to emphasize automated vehicles. Part 1 of this survey addressed the critical aspects that concern the bidirectional converter topologies and condition monitoring activities. In the present part, 24- and 77-GHz low-profile printed antennas are studied for automotive radar applications. These antennas are mounted on automated vehicles to avoid collision and are used for radio tracking applications. The present paper states the types of antenna structures, feed mechanisms, dielectric material requirements, design techniques, performance parameters, and challenges at 24- and 77-GHz resonating frequency applications. The recent developments in feed methodologies, beam scanning concepts, and the effect of sidelobe levels are addressed. Furthermore, the reasons behind the transition from 24 to 77 GHz are reported in detail. The recent advances in the application of various sensor schemes in an automated vehicle have also been discussed.

Caleb Bryce drops into a ravine and tucks into the shadows. The dry foliage bursts into confetti as a puma careens up the opposite bank, hounds wailing close behind. Bryce and other scientists leap in pursuit. The big cat skirts a meadow and vaults into a fir tree. Wide-eyed, she pants as saliva streams from her jaw. When a shot hits its mark, the puma jumps to ground and streaks away. SMART collars record an expanded suite of data compare with GPS collars, providing a potentially important tool for conserving wildlife and minimizing clashes with people. Image courtesy of Sebastian Kennerknecht (www.pumapix.com). This heated chase is part of efforts to tranquilize and study pumas. As the animals continue to encroach on towns and cities, there’s an urgent need to understand their movements and behavior. In essence, scientists want to know what it takes for a large mammal to survive in a landscape shared more and more with people. To find out, they developed collars that do much more than pinpoint animal locations: they also track a complex suite of movements and measure energy expenditure. Their findings, and these seemingly simple collar advances, could help better conserve wildlife and protect humans worldwide. For decades, GPS tracking collars have revealed an animal’s location, indicating the distance traveled between position readings, but not whether the animal moved directly or took side trips. And GPS collars alone don’t indicate whether the animal ran or walked from point to point. These behaviors affect the energy an animal expends, which can be crucial to predicting and protecting its range. Species Movement, Acceleration, and Radio Tracking collars—SMART collars—aren’t a conservation panacea, but they’re proving to be a crucial …

The wide range of wildlife tracking and surveillance technologies (radio and satellite tracking, cameras, and audio) that are being deployed in conservation have important implications for a geographical understanding of care for non-human nature. This report explores four dimensions of their influence. First, their detailed view of spatial dimensions of non-human lives affects conservation’s demarcation and control of space. Second, the application of surveillance technologies to people is central to the rise of coercive conservation strategies. Third, such technologies enable the creation and commoditization of spectacular nature. Fourth, spatial digital data enables the automation of conservation decisions, a trend described here as ‘conservation by algorithm’.

At present, tracking data for planetary missions largely consists of radio observables: range-rate range and angular position. Future planetary missions may use Interplanetary Laser Ranging (ILR) as a tracking observable. Two-way ILR will provide range data that are about 2 orders of magnitude more accurate than radio-based range data. ILR does not produce Doppler data, however. In this article, we compare the relative strength of radio Doppler and laser range data for the retrieval of parameters of interest in planetary missions, to clarify and quantify the science case of ILR, with a focus on geodetic observables. We first provide an overview of the near-term attainable quality of ILR, in terms of both the realization of the observable and the models used to process the measurements. Subsequently, we analyze the sensitivity of radio-Doppler and laser-range measurements in representative mission scenarios. We use both an analytical approximation and numerical analyses of the relative sensitivity of ILR and radio Doppler observables for more general cases. We show that mm-precise range normal points are feasible for ILR, but mm-level accuracy and stability is unlikely to be attained, due to a combination of instrumental and model errors. ILR has the potential for superior performance in observing signatures in the data with a characteristic period of greater than 0.33-1.65 hours This indicates that Doppler tracking will typically remain the method of choice for gravity field determination and spacecraft orbit determination in planetary missions. Laser ranging data, however, are shown to have a significant advantage for the retrieval of rotational and tidal characteristics from landers. Similarly, laser ranging data will be superior for the construction of planetary ephemerides and the improvement of solar system tests of gravitation., Accepted for publication in Journal of Geodesy

Tracking fish using implanted radio transmitters is an important part of studying and preserving native fish species. However, conventional methods for locating the fish after they are tagged can be time consuming and costly. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) have been used in general radio localization applications and can possibly be used to locate fish quickly and effectively. However, the methods developed for multi-UAV navigation and transmitter localization are complex and might not work well for practical and routine use. This work focuses on developing simple methods for multi-UAV navigation and transmitter localization. A real-world simulator is created to test these methods; it includes a signal propagation model based on actual data from a UAV. Swarm-like navigation methods (using potential fields) are used for multi-UAV navigation, and an Extended Kalman Filter is used, along with a simplified version of the propagation model, to estimate the location of the transmitter. Multiple navigation methods are introduced and compared using Monte Carlo Analysis. Despite a noisy signal and a simplified measurement model, the different navigation methods are able to estimate the location of the transmitter with one or more UAVs.

Primate reintroduction has been characterised historically by a lack of assessment and systematic monitoring after release. It is impossible, however, to determine correctly the results of primate release programmes without the detailed information that monitoring can bring. Technological advances, such as telemetry, have made monitoring primates after release more accessible for many species, helping in the design of rehabilitation and reintroduction protocols, and facilitating reintroduction success. Accurate monitoring has implications for both conservation and welfare concerns. Traditionally the use of telemetry has been used predominantly in ecological and socio-behavioural research projects for wild primates but the benefits of using telemetry for monitoring primates after release are increasingly recognised. Our aim was to collate information on the use of telemetric devices in primate reintroduction programmes. Surveys were distributed to native primate sanctuaries globally to assess how telemetry is used to monitor primates after release. Of 16 primate species, almost half (44%) classified as endangered and 13% critically endangered ( IUCN 2002 ), were tagged with telemetric devices. There are numerous methods for tagging animals but attachment methods for tagging released primates in this study were collars, back-packs, and subcutaneous implants. Over half (60%) of survey participants have used telemetry, with collars being the most frequently used attachment type (82%). Telonics was the most frequently used telemetric company (34%). Based on suggestions from the surveys we communicate practical methods for applying telemetric devices to monitor primates, and we make recommendations for telemetry manufacturers, in terms of device design and materials used. Recommendations include the use of an on-off programming schedule, waterproof casing for radios, a safety break-away collar, using chili powder to deter removal of the device, and habituating the animal to the device through the use of fake collars and communicating desirability of wearing the device. In terms of materials used practitioners should avoid leather as it creates sores on the animal or work the material so that it is softer, and reduce the visibility of collars to predators i.e. through the removal of shiny bolts that can be attractive to birds of prey or small cats.

We recently used radio-tracking to demonstrate short-term, post-release survival of five orphaned, hand-reared pipistrelle bats. Here, we present further evidence of short-term, post-release survival and also demonstrate longer term survival using re-sighting data of ringed common (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) and soprano (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) pipistrelle bats. Ten bats (five common and five soprano pipistrelles) were radio-tracked for between one and ten days. Three of these were retrieved after one, two and four days, respectively. In addition, five of the 39 (13%) ringed bats returned to their release boxes between 38 and 1,389 days after release, at least two of which survived over the winter in the wild. A sixth ringed bat was retrieved 27 days after release after becoming trapped in a house. We also identified potential barriers to successful rehabilitation. Two of the ten bats radio-tracked in the current project became trapped within buildings and another bat had to be retrieved following entanglement with debris. We therefore recommend that attention be paid to giving bats the opportunity, prior to release, in identifying and using small exit holes similar to those found in buildings and loft spaces. We also recommend allowing bats to self-release following prolonged pre-release flight training in a large flight cage situated in suitable bat habitat.

Analysis of the radio tracking data from the Pioneer 10/11 spacecraft at distances between about 20–70 AU from the Sun has consistently indicated the presence of a constant acceleration of 8.6× 10−8 cm/s−2 directed towards the Sun. This has been one of the most interesting and intriguing astrophysical problems in the last decade. Currently, an independent research rises from the planetary long-term orbital evolution study and may be helpful to understand the nature of Pioneer Anomaly. Furthermore, calculation shows that the Pioneer data match with the new discovery’s prediction very well.

The water deer (Hydropotes inermis) is one of the most primitive extant deer of the family Cervidae. Unlike Chinese water deer, Korean water deer have rarely been studied, even though they have relatively well remained in Korea. In particular, the home range of the Korean water deer has not yet been studied. Here we estimated the home range of the Korean water deer using two different methods (GPS and radio tracking) and analyzed the home range according to sex, time, and season. The mean home range size of four individuals was 2.77 and 0.34 under the 95% minimum convex polygon (MCP) and the 50% kernel (K) method, respectively. There seemed to be a difference in home range size between males (3.30 ) and females (2.25 ) under the 95% MCP method. We also found a difference in home range size between day (1.90 ) and night (2.43 ) by 95% MCP method. In addition, a home range size difference was observed between summer (4.65 ) and spring (0.48 ) or fall (0.85 ) using the 95% MCP method. Water deer seemed to have a larger home range in night than in day, and males also have a larger home range. We presumed that the GPS tracking method of the code division multiple access system could be a very useful tool for understanding the ecology of the water deer using the radio tracking method. Using these tracking methods and through future research, we can better understand the habitat use pattern of these water deer.

Mass and bulk density of asteroids, which could be determined to high precision through spacecraft flyby, are critical to understanding their interior structures and compositions. In this paper, the Rosetta spacecraft radio tracking data were used to determine the mass of the asteroid based on self-developed software tools. Using the volume model of Lutetia determined by Rosetta science camera, the bulk density was estimated. For extracting contributions only associated with Lutetia, an effective model was established and the detailed mathematical formula was developed to remove the additional frequency shift induced by HGA slew motion accounting for two degrees of freedom in azimuth and elevation angle. In addition, two available solution scenarios were applied in order to obtain reliable solution and the detailed discussion about parameter correlation and solution stability were performed based on properties of parameters and fly-by geometry. All of above yielded a mass of (1.696 ±0.014)×1018 kg (1 σ , error 0.85%) and the bulk density(3.4 ±0.3)×103 kg/m3 at last. The values were almost the same as which was achieved by Rosetta Science Team and the precision of the asteroid mass was improved by 15%.

Bird ringing and other tracking technologies have the potential to be equal partners in ornithology, with the former being ideal for broad, large‐sample‐size approaches and the latter being more suitable for focused studies in much greater detail. Bird tracking methods such as radio tracking, satellite tracking, geolocator loggers, passive integrated transponders or even the use of the worldwide mobile phone network for animal tracking are rapidly evolving and offer high spatial and temporal resolution for following bird movements. However, there are still limitations in equipment size and costs as well as in long‐term data management which is still far from the highly standardised database system established for bird ringing data. Ornithology and conservation profit considerably from the existence of these individual marking and tracking methods as part of a common toolbox from where the most suitable tools or combination of tools may be selected to address important scientific questions.

The increase in the barge-carried cargo volumes in the lower Odra River area necessitates the tracking of barge traffic in order to ensure the safety of navigation. The Dziwnow DGPS reference station, designed for marine traffic, is located near the mouth of the Odra River. The paper presents the results of investigation into the availability of DGPS signal transmitted by the Dziwnow reference station in the lower Odra River area between Kostryd and Szczecin.

Analysis of the radio tracking data from the Pioneer 10/11 spacecraft has consistently indicated the presence of an anomalous small Doppler frequency drift. The drift can be interpreted as being due to a constant acceleration of a_P= (8.74 +/- 1.33) x 10^{-8} cm/s^2 directed towards the Sun. Although it is suspected that there is a systematic origin to the effect, none has been found. The nature of this anomaly has become of growing interest in the fields of relativistic cosmology, astro- and gravitational physics as well as in the areas of spacecraft design and high-precision navigation. We present a concept for a designated deep-space mission to test the discovered anomaly. A number of critical requirements and design considerations for such a mission are outlined and addressed., Final changes for publication. Honorable Mention, 2002 Gravity Research Foundation Essays

The modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) is an attempt to modify the gravitation theory to solve the dark matter problem. This phenomenology is very successful at the galactic level. The main effect produced by MOND in the Solar System is called the external field effect parametrized by the parameter ${Q}_{2}$. We have used nine years of Cassini range and Doppler measurements to constrain ${Q}_{2}$. Our estimate of this parameter based on Cassini data is given by ${Q}_{2}=(3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1{0}^{\ensuremath{-}27}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, which shows no deviation from General Relativity and excludes a large part of the relativistic MOND theories. This limit can also be interpreted as a limit on an external tidal potential acting on the Solar System coming from the internal mass of our Galaxy (including dark matter) or from a new hypothetical body.

During its interplanetary cruise to comet P/Wirtanen, the Rosetta spacecraft will encounter the asteroids 4979 Otawara and 140 Siwa on 11 July 2006 and 24 July 2008, respectively. The objective of the Rosetta Radio Science Investigations (RSI) experiment at these flybys is a determination of the asteroid's mass and bulk density by analyzing the radio tracking data (Doppler and range) received from Rosetta before, during and after closest approach. The spacecraft's flyby trajectory will be gravitationally deflected by an amount proportional to the mass of the asteroid for a given flyby distance and velocity. An analysis of the Doppler noise sources indicates that the mass can be determined to an accuracy of 1% for 140 Siwa. The corresponding bulk density show be accurate to 20% . Unfortunately, a detectable trajectory perturbation seems to be hopeless for Otawara because of its small size and the large nominal flyby distance.

The size and spatial distribution of home ranges of the European bison Bison bonasus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Polish and Belarussian parts of the Bialowieza Forest were studied in the years 1993-1998.

A two-way, noncoherent spacecraft navigation technique has been developed to provide velocity accuracy comparable to that available from a deep space coherent transponder (0.1 mm/s). The technique is compatible with the normal tracking procedures of the Deep Space Network (DSN) ground stations and does not require the use of a highly stable oscillator on-board the spacecraft. The measurement technique, potential error sources, and test results obtained with prototype hardware are described.

This is the first report on a pilot study using radio transmitter to track skeletal remains of scavenged pig carcasses. Three adult pigs were placed on property con- trolled by the Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Facility in Douglas County, Colorado, from June to October 1994. Approximately eleven acres of this facility is designated for research conducted by NecroSearch International, a group of forensic scientists who conduct research with pig carcasses for the purpose of developing methods for locating clandestine graves. To simulate actual crime scenes, two pigs were placed in shallow graves while the third was left partially exposed in a drainage ditch. The three carcasses were instrumented with at least one radio transmitter. Following the burials, the radio transmitters allowed the researchers to monitor the movement of the instrumented bones to distances that, in one case, exceeded 400 meters from the burial site. Results from this study indicate that radio telemetry is an unexplo...

Continuous personal position information has been attracting attention in a variety of service and research areas. In recent years, many studies have applied the telecommunication histories of mobile phones (CDRs: call detail records) to position acquisition. Although large-scale and long-term data are accumulated from CDRs through everyday use of mobile phones, the spatial resolution of CDRs is lower than that of existing positioning technologies. Therefore, interpolating spatiotemporal positions of such sparse CDRs in accordance with human behavior models will facilitate services and researches. In this paper, we propose a new method to compensate for CDR drawbacks in tracking positions. We generate as many candidate routes as possible in the spatiotemporal domain using trip patterns interpolated using road and railway networks and select the most likely route from them. Trip patterns are feasible combinations between stay places that are detected from individual location histories in CDRs. The most likely route could be estimated through comparing candidate routes to observed CDRs during a target day. We also show the assessment of our method using CDRs and GPS logs obtained in the experimental survey.

We propose a photonics-based novel architecture of radio tracking system in space applications. This system can operate in multiple frequency bands, implement various functions, and realize integrated, generalized, frequency-independent design. This new scheme can meet the needs of future space missions, and especially suitable for space tracking ship.

To be aware of one's safety has become basic necessity. When a vehicle meets with an accident in a highway or in the outer part of the city, the possibility of immediate help of the medics is very low. So to overcome this issue, a system which can report automatically about the crash to the emergency help is implemented in vehicles so that the valuable lives are saved. The earlier approach is about implementing such a facility in vehicles with SOS support which had normal cameras, produced unclear view. The proposed system improves the efficiency of accident report with the help of fisheye lens camera which produces more detailed view inside the vehicle. Using fisheye lens camera, Sensors and SIM908-C the emergency helpers will get the detailed report about the accident immediately.

The study was conducted to assess the technical feasibility of studying the spatial and temporal interaction of traditionally herded livestock and wildlife using global positioning system (GPS) tracking technology in Northern Kenya. Two types of collars were used on nine cows: radio frequency and global system for mobile communications (GSM) collars and GPS-satellite (SAT) collars. Full results of cattle tracking were available for eight cows (3 GSM and 5 SAT) tracked between July 2008 and September 2010. A cumulative total of 1556 tracking days was recorded over the 17 month period. On average cows walked 10,203 m/day (average total monthly distance walked was 234 km). Significant seasonal differences were found; on average cows walked 9.607 m and 10,392 m per day in the rainy and the dry seasons, respectively. This difference was also significant for total monthly and daily distance walked between the dry and the rainy season. On average cows walked daily 9607 m and 10,392 m on the rainy and the dry season respectively. During the dry months a 48 h cycle was observed with cows walking 15–25 km to water every 2nd day but only 5–8 km/day between watering days. There was a 24% overlap of cattle range with both elephants and zebras. This study demonstrated the feasibility of tracking cattle using radio collars. It shows the complexity of spatial use by cattle and wildlife. Such information can be used to understand the dynamics of disease transmission between livestock and wildlife.

This paper aims to apply a novel high-accuracy localization technique in apron and stand areas in airports to increase the safety when coverage and resolution of the surveillance systems deployed is degraded. We propose a new localization method based on fingerprinting techniques using the multipath ray-profile due to effects of the ray-tracing as cost function instead of power levels measurements over the received signal strength. The precision obtained with this technique is very high, while the main contribution to the localization accuracy is provided by the dominant rays of the ray-tracing.

We compared diet composition, prey selection, home-range size, daily movements, and habitat preference of Geoffroy’s cats (Leopardus geoffroyi) between cattle ranches and an adjacent national park in scrublands of Argentina. Although overall prey abundance was higher in the park than in the ranches, diet composition was similar between sites, and small rodents were the most common prey item found in Geoffroy’s cat feces in both sites. Geoffroy’s cats selectively preyed on sigmodontines in the ranches throughout the year and in the park during spring, when the abundance of this prey type was the lowest for this site. Mean daily movements of radio-collared Geoffroy’s cats in the park were significantly shorter than those of cats in the ranches. Differences in habitat use between sites reflected differences in the availability of different habitat types, and Geoffroy’s cats exhibited different patterns of habitat selection according to the site and the scale considered. Changes in home-range size and overlap were also apparent, but the small sample sizes and the short period during which individuals could be monitored may cloud the actual magnitude of these responses. Geoffroy’s cats exhibited behavioral plasticity, as the two subpopulations in close proximity had such contrasting trophic and spatial ecology. Fil: Pereira, Javier Adolfo. Provincia del Neuquen. Subsecretaria de Producción y Recursos Naturales. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Neuquen; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Walker, Rebecca Susana. Provincia del Neuquen. Subsecretaria de Producción y Recursos Naturales. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Neuquen; Argentina. Wildlife Conservation Society; Estados Unidos Fil: Novaro, Andres Jose. Provincia del Neuquen. Subsecretaria de Producción y Recursos Naturales. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Neuquen; Argentina. Wildlife Conservation Society; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Fifty-one European hares Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778 were monitored during at least one month by radiotracking in an intensively farmed landscape. The mean home range size of 21 hares monitored during at least six months was about 100 ha.

A team from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed an RFID Accountability System (RAS) that allows items with active RFID tags to be tracked in environments where tags may not be able to transmit their location continuously. The system uses activators that transmit a short range signal. Active RFID tags are in a sleep state until they encounter an activator. Then they transmit a signal that is picked up by the antennas installed throughout the building. This paper presents the theory of operation, application areas, lessons learned, and key features developed over the course of seven years of development and use.

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction A Review of Wildlife Tracking Techniques A New Approach to Wildlife Tracking Performance of a Demonstration Wildlife Tracking System Caveats and Limitations Conclusion References

In this paper, the design of personnel Positioning and facilities Status real-time Monitoring System (PSM System) based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is illustrated, along with the realization of development and design of Tourist Positioning System of Digital Scenic.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a very promising wireless technology able to trace and track individual objects. The pharmaceutical supply chain is a challenging scenario, where an item-level traceability is crucial to guarantee transparency and safety in the drug flow. Unfortunately, there are still some barriers limiting the large-scale deployment of these innovative technologies. In order to face these challenges, multidisciplinary skills are required. A recent research project has attempted to coordinate heterogeneous activities focused on drug traceability. One of these is related to the evaluation of potential effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields on drugs. This paper aims to briefly describe both the main features of the defined framework for the item-level tracing of drugs on the whole supply chain and the most interesting results obtained by the evaluation of the potential effects of RFID systems on drugs. In particular, the potential alterations of the molecular structure of a commercial human insulin preparation have been analyzed by using investigative techniques such as Reverse Phase-High Pressure Liquid Chromatography and in vitro cell proliferation assays. The experimental results are strongly encouraging the use of RFID-based technologies for item-level tracing systems in the pharmaceutical supply chain.

International audience; Between 2004 and 2007, 116 downstream migrant silver eels (Anguilla anguilla) were monitored at a hydropower plant on the Gave de Pau river in South-West France using radio and PIT telemetry. The objectives of the study were: (i) to determine the environmental conditions when eels arrived and passed the facility; (ii) to determine the rate of eel escapement (passage other than via the turbines); (iii) to describe the behaviour of eels faced with the intake structure and the permeability of the intake trashracks for the different sizes of eel; and (iv) to determine whether surface bypasses originally designed for salmon could be effective for eels. Five types of behaviour of silver eels in the forebay and at the plant intakes were identified. The study showed the key factor influencing both eel behaviour and the route taken through the plant was variation in river discharge. Escapement rate was related to eel length and the spill flow to river flow ratio, which could be described by a logistic regression model. The surface bypasses originally designed for salmon were found to aid downstream eel migration significantly. At velocities < 0.40 m*s−1, no eels, even the largest, for which the racks are a physical barrier, were found impinged on the trashracks.

RFID innovative application dairy happened. In the study, we propose a RFID-enabled gym management system. By the system, the manager of gym can track and trace the exercise status of member. For the purpose of gym, it can apply an exercise prescription for each member when they come in fitness. The system not only can reduce the waste of human resources and enhance the efficiency of management levels, but also to enhance the welfare of members of gym.

[1] We report independent results from two subgroups of the Mars Express Radio Science (MaRS) team who independently analyzed Mars Express (MEX) radio tracking data for the purpose of determining consistently the gravitational attraction of the moon Phobos on the MEX spacecraft, and hence the mass of Phobos. New values for the gravitational parameter (GM = 0.7127 ± 0.0021 × 10 -3 km 3 /s 2 ) and density of Phobos (1876 ± 20 kg/m 3 ) provide meaningful new constraints on the corresponding range of the body's porosity (30% ± 5%), provide a basis for improved interpretation of the internal structure. We conclude that the interior of Phobos likely contains large voids. When applied to various hypotheses bearing on the origin of Phobos, these results are inconsistent with the proposition that Phobos is a captured asteroid.

Recent mine disasters in the United States exposed various inadequacies and gaps in mine-safety technology. Congress responded to these tragedies by enacting the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 (MINER Act), which resulted in the most significant change to mine-safety laws in 30 years. To help meet the requirements of the MINER Act and to help eliminate future tragedies, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) initiated aggressive research programs for developing new, and enhancing existing, mine-safety technologies. A major research emphasis addressed the lack of post- accident communications, which surfaced as a critical deficiency in some disasters. As a result, three communications approaches emerged as viable technologies - enhanced leaky-feeder, wireless-mesh, and medium-frequency systems. This paper describes the operation, application, advantages, and disadvantages of each system, as well as the challenges associated with underground wireless communications.

This paper analyses the performance of Kalman filter based algorithms for tracking of a moving person observed by UWB sensors in an indoor environment. It is shown that known tracking algorithms cannot correctly cope with sudden changes - maneuvers - in the movement of the localized person. The article proposes a new algorithm. It combines the input selection approach, which treats maneuvers as non-random variables, with the maneuver detection that is known e.g. in the approach with adjustable noise level. A simulated example compares performance of selected tracking algorithms. It demonstrates that the proposed algorithm outperforms known tracking algorithms.

A method for tracking animals using a terrestrial system similar to GPS is presented. This system enables simultaneous tracking of thousands of animals with transmitters that are lighter, longer lasting, more accurate and cheaper than other automatic positioning tags. The technical details of this system are discussed and the results of a prototype are shown.

A traditional approach to indoor tracking uses non-RF techniques, such as infrared and ultrasound. A disadvantage of these methods is that they do not work unless the sensors have direct connection with the nodes, to which the reference made the estimations of the distance. Another approach for inside buildings location systems uses only RF sensors, a similar principle to the one used by the Global Position System (GPS). The goal of the paper is to highlight the main differences between these systems and to propose a new method for inside buildings location systems.

Recently, in Japan, crimes against children become atrocious and brutal. In some cases, children are attacked on the way to and back from school. Many technologies using ubiquitous networks have been developed to prevent crimes against children on their way to and back from school. Existing technologies, however, are not powerful to prevent crimes against children and helpful for parents since it is difficult to take information of children as a group. If the system can provide group information of children on the way to and back from school, it is easy for parents to know their safety level. This paper proposes a new technology for Children Tracking System based on mobile ad hoc networks and describes outline of Children Tracking System in Hiroshima City. The field experiments using the Children Tracking System have been performed and the effectiveness of the system is shown by data analysis for the experimental results.

The proliferation of communication and mobile computing devices and local-area wireless networks has cultivated a growing interest in location-aware systems and services. An essential problem in location-aware computing is the determination of physical locations. RFID technologies are gaining much attention as they are attractive solutions to indoor localization applications. In this paper, we propose a new indoor locating system based on the received signal strength intensity. The proposed algorithm introduced a signal strength preprocessing step to improve the accuracy of existing techniques. We investigate optimal parameters in terms of reader and reference tag properties through computer simulations. A new configuration in placing reference tags on the perimeter of a sensing area is also introduced. Comparing with other methods, our experimental results indicate that proposed system achieved more accurate localization with fewer reference tags needed.

Ekinci, Yeliz (Dogus Author) -- Conference full title: 1st annual RFID Eurasia 2007 Conference: September 5-6, 2007, Istanbul, Turkey. In this research, the application of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, which is the technology used for tracking objects using radio waves with the help of a reader, an antenna and a chip, is investigated on the retail/consumer goods supply chain. Consumer goods probably take the biggest pie by quantity among the goods produced in the world, therefore the supply chain of this industry has to be robust. Tracking this large amount of products is a critical subject all over the world, in this study ultra-high frequency (UHF) passive RFIDs, which operate without battery and a very small-sized antenna and which are advantageous for their size and cost, are particularly examined for global supply chain of retail/consumer goods. The benefits of the technology are summarized and a work flow is also represented for the supply chain operations among manufacturers, distribution centers and retailers applying RFID, barcode and GPS technologies together.

International audience; RFID is an automatic identification technology that enables tracking of people and objects. Both identity and location are generally key information for indoor services. An obvious and interesting method to obtain these two types of data is to localize RFID tags attached to devices or objects or carried by people. However, signals in indoor environments are generally harshly impaired and tags have very limited capabilities which pose many challenges for positioning them. In this work, we propose a classification and survey the current state-of-art of RFID localization by first presenting this technology and positioning principles. Then, we explain and classify RFID localization techniques. Finally, we discuss future trends in this domain.

The technology of RFID has been widely used to develop an asset tracking system in the industrial environment; nevertheless, it has rarely been applied to facilitate human's daily life especially within a residence. Our research aims to develop indoor object management system implemented in a studio-type room environment based on active RFID. To provide object management system requires two primary functionalities-object recognition and object localization.