Quasi-isotropic low size, weight, and power tag for remotely tracking birds using weather radar

Abstract

Modern tracking technology has the potential to revolutionize the field of ornithology. However, some tracking technologies such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) are limited in read range while others such as GPS trackers can only track large birds due to tag weight. In this thesis, a quasi-isotropic low size, weight, and power active RFID tag is developed to track birds using the WSR-88D weather radar. For the radiator for the tag, a quasi-isotropic Curved Folded Dipole Antenna (CFDA) is designed to match the frequency and bandwidth of the WSR-88D radar. To ensure tag performance when attached to birds an electromagnetic phantom is developed to accurately represent a Dark-eyed Junco (Junco Hyemalis). This phantom is validated with bird measurements and can be used for future electromagnetic simulations involving birds. Lastly, a single layer board circuit layout is design for an RFID tag that will work with the WSR-88d radar and is fabricated to be used as the first prototype for this new tracking technology.