Student develops unique way to help track research animals

As he answers questions in a study room, Andrew Danielson pulls pieces of PVC pipe and cut-up sections of a tape measure from his backpack. Then he starts slotting them together, using screws to affix everything crosswise to the 3-foot-tall pipe.

The obvious observation is that something so simple can’t be that remarkable, right?

Danielson, a Purdue University Fort Wayne junior, said buying the parts and producing the brackets cost about $24, and he used the 3D printer in the Mastodon Makerlab to create the brackets holding different parts together after using modeling software to make sure they were spaced properly.

The result looks like something from a fifth-grade science exhibit, or maybe the creation of an Eagle Scout, but the antenna Danielson produced works with a high degree of efficiency. While the antennas are not fancy, they’re exceptionally effective, especially when used in the field to help track research animals.

If that’s not impressive enough, Danielson designed and built another antenna using steel pipes that look like they were pulled from an old garage. They cost around $60 to make. Traditionally, researchers use antennas costing between $175 and $300.

“The initial goal for the project was to test how effective `Do It Yourself’ antennas would be in receiving wildlife transmitters compared to commercial antennas,” said Jordan Marshall, professor of plant biology. “The DIY antennas were effective and very similar to the commercial antenna, which does potentially lower the equipment cost.”

Imagine working in the field to collect research data on small animals. The transmitter attached to the animal cannot be too big or alter the animal’s way of life, but that also means the signal it puts out may be limited and require a more expensive and sensitive antenna for tracking.

“It’s often super-difficult to track small animals throughout ecosystems because they tend to not want to be found,” said Scott Bergeson, assistant professor of biology. “This is especially true for small and super-fast animals, like bats! Andrew’s work could help improve our ability to receive signals from the transmitters on the bats’ backs. Any slight improvement in this regard could mean the difference between saving a valuable habitat for an endangered species or letting it deteriorate, potentially reducing the ability to conserve the species.”

Along with being a music major who plays the pipe organ, piano, violin, and a little bit of guitar and harpsichord, Danielson has also been engrossed in operating an amateur radio station he uses to talk to friends around the world. That’s how he became interested in antennas and using radio communications to enhance wildlife science.

He received a $1,000 scholarship from the Honors Program last summer to purchase software-designed radios and wildlife telemetry transmitters that allow researchers to use his antennas and see the signals produced rather than simply using them to track by sound.

“I think what is more interesting is that using the SDRs and visualizing the signal provides adapted equipment that may allow someone who is hearing-impaired to participate in the research,” Marshall said.

Amazingly, Danielson’s antennas produced only slightly less range than the higher-priced commercial models, hitting distances of just over a mile.

“The commercial antennas were better, but this was getting close to it,” Danielson said. “If you can approach something, chances are, you can reach that level with refinements. If it does the job, that’s what we’re interested in.”

Also, putting the various antennas together only enhances the effectiveness of the search patterns at an economic cost, allowing practitioners more actual research time with their subjects.

The overall goal is, “How can you use technology even in its simplest forms to accomplish more complex things?” Danielson said.

Regarding his future career plans, Danielson said they are not determined and will depend on how many opportunities he can find before making that decision.