Now a 麻豆传媒团队 (UC) research team is pooling its expertise across the College of Engineering to hone new tag-and-track technology that could transform our understanding of the insect world. Co-leading the project are听School of Forestry听senior lecturer and forest entomologist听Dr Steve Pawson听and signal processing expert听Dr Graeme Woodward听of the听Wireless Research Centre.
鈥淲e have fabricated about 20 test harmonic radar tags to date, allowing us to experiment with various parameters and build an understanding of tag design,鈥 says Dr Woodward, adding that these tiny tags can be as small as two or three millimetres wide.
Being developed alongside these tags is associated 鈥榰nmanned aerial vehicle鈥 (UAV) or drone technology.
鈥淭he idea is that we could activate a swarm of UAVs that would be able to track and follow the insect in real time,鈥 explains Dr Pawson.
Unlike previous harmonic radar tracking facilities, the transmitters being fine-tuned for this project are designed with mobility in mind and to operate with a much lower power requirement. This allows information to be gathered in complex landscapes and at greater distances at a much lower cost.
Researchers hope to commence field testing in 2023, starting with ground-based insects before tackling the complexities of tracking insects in flight. This exciting research has potential applications in other fields too, from biosecurity to medical imaging.
For further information please contact:
Dr Steve Pawson, 麻豆传媒团队, College of Engineering, School of Forestry,听steve.pawson@canterbury.ac.nz,听Phone: +64 3 369 0492
