The GPS Buzz

A research group from the University of Calgary has taken animal tracking technology to the next level. Along with monitoring GPS position, the new tracking devices have built-in cameras programmed to take snapshots at predetermined intervals.

To test these new trackers, researchers have attached collars to grizzly bears in the Canadian Rockies. While mainly monitoring travel patterns, the collars also use additional sensors to identify animal behavior like sleeping, eating, and foraging. Once the research group has tracked where these animals travel, researchers can determine what effect urban development has on their habitat.

Innovate Calgary, a local company, is working with the University team and Lotek, a manufacturing company out of Ontario, to bring this product to the market. The completed product will be much smaller than the prototype being used on grizzly bears, so pet owners can use them to track domesticated animals as well.

Some tracking devices aready on the market include the Garmin GTU 10 and the SPOT messenger systems. These trackers do not have photo capabilities, but do transmit GPS data to online maps for monitoring purposes.