Open Source GPS Animal Tracking Collar

Basics

- An animal collar that can track the animal wearing it.

- Essentially a separate ruggedized pod with different attachment mechanisms for different animals (ie a dog/cat collar, a bird leg tag, and a dolphin/shark/whale tag version)

Used For

- Ecological Studies

- Very Smart (Via Software) Pasture Rotations

- Quick Location of Animals for Things Such as Veterinary Care

- Easy ID of Animals

- Easy Care/Return of Lost Animals

Industry Standards

1. https://www.podtrackers.com/products/pod-3/

2. http://www.wildlifematerials.com/store.html

3. http://www.telonics.com/wildlife.php

4. https://atstrack.com/

Minimum Viable Product

- Modular

- User Upgradable

- User Maintainable

- Long Battery Life

- Water/Dirt Proof (or at least resonably resistant)

- Temperature Resistant ( As in it doesn't overheat, or freeze over easily)

- ID System Using Labels, QR Codes, RFID, Or Some Combination of Those Methods

- GPS Tracking

- Cellular, Sattalite, Radio, or some combination of these options for communication to the base station

- Optional LORAN-C / eLORAN Tracking

- Optional Cellular Tracking

- Optional Automatic Release after a Prerecorded Amount of Time to Allow for Easy Collection (More so for wildlife tracking)

Basic Design

?x Battery Module(s)

1x Computer-on-a-chip Module (Preferably very power efficient)

?x GPS Tracking Module(s)

?x Cellular Tracking Module(s)

?x LORAN-C Tracking Module(s)

?x eLORAN Tracking Module(s)

?x ID Module(s)

1x Environment-Proofing Module

1x Attachment Mechanism

?x Float Bag Mechanisms (For recovery after usage with marine life)

See Also

1. http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Animals

Usefull Links

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPS_wildlife_tracking