A Highly Adaptable Ultra-Low Weight Wireless Sensor Network for Tracking and Monitoring of Airborne Vertebrates

This paper gives an overview of the BATS project, which aims to track the behavior of bats by developing an ultra-low power wireless sensor network. It is composed of an ultra-low weight sensor node that is attached to the animal and extensive ground infrastructure for tracking the animals as well as remote data download of locally stored sensor data from the tags. The system achieves its low power consumption by adaptively enabling certain functions based on the current situation. The mobile node, as a key component of the system, contains a variety of sensors, including an electrocardiogram (ECG) to allow precise insights in the animals' behavior while maintaining a low weight of around 1 g depending on the hardware configuration.