A LoRa Wireless Mesh Network for Wide-Area Animal Tracking

Abstract

The continuous evolution in technology and innovation empowers mankind to strive for more and move ahead towards living an easier and more convenient life with better safety measures and assisting systems. However, parallel to the aforementioned patterns are some contrastingly petrifying and frightening patterns. Mankind's greed for resources and inefficiency in using the same has led to the destruction of various lifeforms and their natural habitats. Animal tracking is key to conservation and protection of the beings itself as well as their habitats. It is mankind's responsibility to right what he has wronged. LoRa, a wireless technology, is of communicating over long distances while sipping efficiently on power. However, the vastness of the savannas and the deserts and the densities of the forests are out of bounds for existing conventional wireless communication technologies. Tracking via satellite would turn out to be expensive and infeasible in many scenarios. Tracking over the cellular network in such expansive remote regions would be quixotic and impractical. This work proposes a novel design of a mesh network formed by LoRa based animal collars or tags, for tracking location and monitoring other factors via sensors over very wide areas. Furthermore, the work proposes different models to choose from, based on the expanse of the area desired to be covered and it's geographical conditions.