System and Method for VHF Tag Detection via Coherent Pulse Integration

Description

Most bird and bat species are incapable of carrying tags that transmit their position to satellites. Given fundamental power requirements for such communication, burdened mass guidelines, and battery technology, this constraint necessitates the continued use of very high frequency (VHF) radio beacons using UAV-RT systems. The primary deficiency of radiotelemetry systems is that when the signal strength is low, the exact tag frequency needs to be known for filtering before being processed; this information is not always available as tags can drift. In some cases, even when the frequency is known, basic thresholding on signal amplitude often detects noise which can lead to false positives, which is common at low signal strength. The present method provides an automated pulse detection algorithm which: 1) does not require knowledge of precise tag center frequency; 2) is robust to variability in pulse interval timing; 3) has sensitivity close to, or better, than the human ear; and 4) has statistically rigorous decision-making criteria for detection.

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