Tel Aviv University uses RFID technology to study bat behavior

The neurological bat lab at Tel Aviv College is utilizing RFID expertise to grasp the habits of bats to assist human pondering analysis. The answer to trace bats out and in of the cave was offered by the startup Readbee, utilizing Sentiron’s RFID card readers and multiplexers.

There are numerous
challenges within the monitoring of bats. The animal’s weight modifications, flying at
speeds of as much as 40 miles per hour, and may change route halfway by way of the
blink of a watch. Professor Yossi Yovel mentioned that bat monitoring can present
beneficial info for ecological analysis. The Neuroecology Bat Lab is
learning the echo localization expertise of bats. The researchers speculate
that that is vital as a result of the bat’s mind is not any totally different from mammals,
together with people. Researchers not solely examine how bats navigate by way of area
for echolocation, but additionally their sensory perceptions, social behaviors, and
determination making.

The staff
put in LF RFID expertise, the tag is embedded underneath the pores and skin of the bat,
however the studying charge shouldn’t be excessive sufficient. Yovel mentioned: “The system is usually
unable to learn tags, particularly when bats are flying quick.” In order that they
contacted the accountable firm Readbee immediately, and founder Yoni Harris
mentioned that beginning in January this yr, the corporate started working with Tel
Aviv College. And developed a system inside 6 months, the bat tag studying
charge is sort of 100%.

The Harris
convention mentioned that once we first got here into contact with the venture, we
barely understood bats. We examined varied RFID tags and shapes and eventually
selected to develop our personal RFID tags. The system tracks bats which are consuming
bugs and fruits.

Readbee additionally
developed cloud-based software program that makes use of tags to learn knowledge to find out the
route, pace and dwell time of the tag. The tag ID can also be tied to the bat
id and sort, age and weight.

Now, researchers
can merely open the software program and examine the information and pace of particular bats in
and out, with out spending a number of time trying on the tape. The reader is
dormant through the day and begins studying knowledge after sundown.

The bat wears a
necklace with a built-in RFID tag. The corporate has studied the usage of
subcutaneous implanted labels, however finally discovered that UHF RFID expertise is
not working nicely on this state of affairs. The corporate additionally tried to connect RFID tags
to the GPS module, however lastly discovered that the metallic on the GPS module would
have an effect on the validity of the tag.

Lastly, the
Readbee staff developed a plastic label that’s sturdy, proof against excessive
temperatures and may face up to direct daylight and water. Initially of
the venture, the staff marked 100 bats and monitored the bat because it entered and
exited the cave. Subsequent, the staff will start to trace the habits of bats consuming
and sleeping. Yovel hopes to put in an RFID reader on the meals field to trace
the consuming habits of various kinds of bats. The researchers additionally need to
monitor how the bat sleeps and the way lengthy it sleeps.

Yovel mentioned that in the long term, he hopes to make use of implanted tags to trace bats. He mentioned: “The sort of tag is essential, no must put on extra tags. I feel UHF RFID has many fascinating potential functions, and the expertise has an extended learn vary. Sooner or later we are going to use UHF RFID expertise for extra experiments.”