LoraWAN is a fantastic wireless protocol, designed to use very little power while transmitting small bits of data over several kilometres or more (depending on conditions). Combine this tech with a GPS receiver, and you have the Wildlife Asset Tracker by TRAK TFRC. Like many things in the engineering world, the concept is relatively straightforward, but actually implementing it well, then proving it out, is a bit more involved.
This device uses a Queltec L80 GPS module, an internal patch antenna for positioning, and an RFM 95 board for LoRaWAN communication. An 8MHz, 3.3V ATmega328P microcontroller is used for processing, which is programmed as an Arduino Pro Mini. A real-time clock is implemented for scheduling, allowing it to switch the GPS receiver on and off with a transistor to save power. Data can be stored on the device’s EEPROM, securing any information that may not have been received.
The device comes in a tiny form factor, appropriate for tracking wildlife, or non-wildlife “things” as well. Automobiles, bicycles, and weather balloons come to mind (for me), but there are a wide range of other potential uses. The device doesn’t just theoretically work, but has been tested by humans in the Peruvian Amazon, and is now being used by researchers to track wildlife. Perhaps it could work for your tracking needs as well!
