Miniaturized Antenna Design for Monitoring of Individual Pollinators in Smart Farm Environment

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  • Sohail Saeed

    Research areas

  • Subharmonic-Tags, Antenna Design, MSc by Research

Abstract

The decline in pollinator populations, especially honeybees, necessitates innovative conservation strategies. This research focuses on developing advanced technological solutions for identifying and tracking individual pollinators, primarily honeybees, without affecting their natural behaviour. The study began with a survey of existing tracking technologies such as RFID, SAR, and various antenna designs, followed by an analysis of the physical characteristics and load-bearing capacities of honeybees, bumblebees, and drones. The key challenge was to develop miniature, lightweight tracking devices. This research designed antennas with dimensions of 6x6x6 mm³ and a weight of 0.30g. Initial experiments using loop antennas demonstrated mutual induction at considerable distances. The study then explored RC tank circuits, using ADS software to design systems resonating at 900MHz. These efforts culminated in a dual tank circuit system with improved signal strength and range. Further, the research investigated subharmonic tags that receive signals at 900MHz and transmit at half this frequency. Extensive simulations optimized key parameters such as FR4 thickness and loop shape, resulting in a subharmonic tag with significantly reduced power loss and a functional range of 1.3 meters. The final tag dimensions were 10.6x6.096x1.45 mm³, suitable for honeybees. This research advances pollinator tracking and conservation by proposing a miniaturized, efficient, and non-intrusive tracking system. The findings contribute to wildlife tracking technologies and offer practical solutions for monitoring and conserving pollinator populations.

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Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
Supervisors/Advisors
Award date1 Jul 2024