Ursula

Hi


I want to ask quite a lot of a GPS set up.

1. The set up will be used to track an animal in an enclosure of about 60m by 60m with fairly dense tree cover.
2. I would like fairly good accuracy (around 5m or less).
3. The transmitter on the animal will need to be able to withstand serious sub zero temperatures.
4. I would also like it to be possible to record not only the global position but also the distance of the animal from a set position in the enclosure.

Hope this doesn’t pose too much of a challenge

Ursula

sviking

Only 60m x 60m? Why?

Ursula

That is the size of the animal's enclosure, it is already constructed and will not be able to be altered.

sviking

I understand that. I ask because it's not a large area at all. So, why the need for GPS tracking? Seems like some strategically placed video cameras (DVR type setup with basic night vision) could cover everything 24/7 and provide much more information. May very well be an easier and less expensive solution, too.

What kind of animal...very small? I'm genuinely curious.

MrUmbra

Will a dog tracking system work for you? Look on the Garmin website. They sell a system that sends the critter's location via a radio link.

Five meters is achievable with a clear sky view but, in the woods, accuracy may be reduced because the signals bounce around. I usually get about 3 meters accuracy on the water but 'usually' is the operative word because GPS accuracy depends upon so many variables.

The tallest part of your order is the requirement to compute the position from a known point. Although that's a trivial problem, the question is if a commercial off the self product exists that implements that feature. I'm assuming you're not wanting to design the system.

--- CHAS

Ursula

The idea is to track newly emerged bears from the den site in a rehabilitation centre. I am aiming to use GPS to get a large amount of easy to analyse data. Using cameras would be far too time consuming as this project is not actually my PhD work but another project I would like to do on the side.
I also like the idea of a set up I can put in place and leave to take care of its self, because as visa laws in Russia stand I can only spend 3 months there at a time, and this will not cover the duration of the project.

Would it be possible to do away with GPS all together and simply have three receivers around the enclosure and triangulate the position and height of the bear from them?