Conventional Telemetry Research Articles

Extracting dashcam telemetry data for predicting energy use of electric vehicles

Prior to the acquisition of an electric vehicle, pre-evaluation of vehicle energy use is desirable to assess whether the intrinsic vehicle electrical storage capability is satisfactory. However, inconsistency in general vehicle modelling may provide unreliable predictions concerning energy usage. To increase the prediction reliability, the use of route-specific driving cycle data is essential.This paper presents a case study of a novel method of extracting vehicle telemetry data from archived dashcam videos without the need to deploy conventional telemetry techniques. Utilising dashcam videos as input, and employing image processing and recognition technology, textual en-route driving data embedded in the video can be extracted. This data can then, in-turn, be used to model the performance of the vehicle, or an electric equivalent in terms of energy use and emissions. Results from preliminary testing with real-life dashcam videos, demonstrate negligible errors with regards to energy requirements and pollutants emitted from an EV operating on the modelled routes. Consequently, the proposed solution opens up the possibility to gather a significant amount of new data in order to better assess the transport sector’s energy requirements. This is especially important for situations where conventional telemetry is difficult to obtain. In addition, results from vehicle fleet modelling may inform policy decisions with regard to the impact of introducing low emission zones.

Comparison of Novel Telemonitoring System Using the Single-lead Electrocardiogram Patch With Conventional Telemetry System.

Although a single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) patch may provide advantages for detecting arrhythmias in outpatient settings owing to user convenience, its comparative effectiveness for real-time telemonitoring in inpatient settings remains unclear. We aimed to compare a novel telemonitoring system using a single-lead ECG patch with a conventional telemonitoring system in an inpatient setting. This was a single-center, prospective cohort study. Patients admitted to the cardiology unit for arrhythmia treatment who required a wireless ECG telemonitoring system were enrolled. A single-lead ECG patch and conventional telemetry were applied simultaneously in hospitalized patients for over 24 hours for real-time telemonitoring. The basic ECG parameters, arrhythmia episodes, and signal loss or noise were compared between the 2 systems. Eighty participants (mean age 62±10 years, 76.3% male) were enrolled. The three most common indications for ECG telemonitoring were atrial fibrillation (66.3%), sick sinus syndrome (12.5%), and atrioventricular block (10.0%). The intra-class correlation coefficients for detecting the number of total beats, atrial and ventricular premature complexes, maximal, average, and minimal heart rates, and pauses were all over 0.9 with p values for reliability <0.001. Compared to a conventional system, a novel system demonstrated significantly lower signal noise (median 0.3% [0.1-1.6%] vs. 2.4% [1.4-3.7%], p<0.001) and fewer episodes of signal loss (median 22 [2-53] vs. 64 [22-112] episodes, p=0.002). The novel telemonitoring system using a single-lead ECG patch offers performance comparable to that of a conventional system while significantly reducing signal loss and noise. Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0008176.

A Review of Downhole Communication Technologies

Different telemetry techniques have been tested and used in the oil and gas industry to acquire data via downhole monitoring. However, the rate at which conventional telemetry systems transmit data is low. In order to address this problem, some telemetry techniques have been proposed. The wired and wireless drill pipes are among the contending classifications of telemetry techniques used in downhole monitoring. This review provides an in-depth overview of the existing and researched methods of downhole monitoring by highlighting their particular challenges and innovations for which the wireless drill pipe based on visible light communication techniques proves to be promising as an optimal telemetry technique. The review will guide future research studies in the common area of interest in downhole monitoring. The study will contribute significantly to the oil and gas industry by investigating the effectiveness of emerging technologies such as visible light communication technology in transmitting data at a very high rate compared to the existing telemetry techniques.

New concept for measuring swimming speed of free-ranging fish using acoustic telemetry and Doppler analysis

A novel technique for measuring individual fish swimming speed based on conventional acoustic telemetry and Doppler analysis was tested with live tagged fish in a field experiment at a fish farm. The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the feasibility of using this method to measure instantaneous swimming speeds over time for individual fish under commercial farming conditions. Measurements were obtained from two acoustically tagged specimen of farmed Atlantic salmon and results showed realistic speed spectra and average swimming speeds (880 mm s−1 std. 590 mm s−1 and 1080 mm s−1 std. 560 mm s−1, corresponding to 1.4 and 1.6 body lengths per second, respectively). A reference tag moored in a stationary position in the same sea cage was simultaneously measured as having a mean speed of 110 mm s−1 (std. 80 mm s−1), confirming that the method was able to distinguish between moving and stationary tags. Moreover, the mean speed of the reference tag was 10% of the overall speed range, agreeing with the error ranges observed for the concept in previously reported model experiments, further corroborating that the Doppler measurements were genuinely linked with tag movement. Commercially available acoustic tags with only a simple modification were used to generate the signal for the Doppler speed computation algorithm, implying that the technique will conveniently integrate with existing acoustic fish telemetry systems with only minor modifications. The proposed method features the ability to augment conventional telemetry data with swimming speed measurements without additional costs in tag size or complexity, promoting richer and more diverse datasets. The technique could potentially become a useful in-situ research tool with applications within both general fish behavioural biology and the study of fish performance and welfare in marine farms.

Movement behaviour of catface rockcod Mycteroperca (Epinephelus) andersoni (Epinephelidae) off the eastern seaboard of southern Africa

Movement behaviour of the endemic epinephelid Mycteroperca andersoni (formerly allocated to genus Epinephelus) along the east coast of southern Africa was investigated using both conventional dart tagging and passive acoustic telemetry. Results from both methods showed that this species is likely to be a temporary resident on shallow inshore reefs; fish showed high site fidelity and occupied relatively small home ranges for periods seldom exceeding 12 months, whereafter they appeared to undertake ranging-type movements. Adults >400 mm total length were more mobile than juveniles, and the distance moved increased with both fish size and time at liberty. Adults south of Durban, South Africa, moved farther in a northerly direction than those north of Durban, confirming that spawning likely takes place north of Durban. No direct evidence of a spawning migration was found, but anecdotal reports that they form spawning aggregations suggests that migrations for this purpose are likely to occur. The current species-specific linefish regulations and the recently expanded marine protected area network along the east coast of South Africa are believed to be adequate to ensure the future sustainable use of this species. However, improved enforcement of regulations is required, and identification of spawning aggregation sites should be a research priority.

Analysis of echolocation behavior of bats in \u201cecho space\u201d using acoustic simulation

BackgroundEcholocating bats use echo information to perceive space, control their behavior, and adjust flight navigation strategies in various environments. However, the echolocation behavior of bats, including echo information, has not been thoroughly investigated as it is technically difficult to measure all the echoes that reach the bats during flight, even with the conventional telemetry microphones currently in use. Therefore, we attempted to reproduce the echoes received at the location of bats during flight by combining acoustic simulation and behavioral experiments with acoustic measurements. By using acoustic simulation, echoes can be reproduced as temporal waveforms (including diffracted waves and multiple reflections), and detailed echo analysis is possible even in complex obstacle environments.ResultsWe visualized the spatiotemporal changes in the echo incidence points detected by bats during flight, which enabled us to investigate the “echo space” revealed through echolocation for the first time. We then hypothesized that by observing the differences in the “echo space” before and after spatial learning, the bats’ attentional position would change. To test this hypothesis, we examined how the distribution of visualized echoes concentrated at the obstacle edges after the bats became more familiar with their environment. The echo incidence points appeared near the edge even when the pulse direction was not toward the edge. Furthermore, it was found that the echo direction correlated with the turn rate of the bat’s flight path, revealing for the first time the relationship between the echo direction and the bat’s flight path.ConclusionsWe were able to clarify for the first time how echoes space affects echolocation behavior in bats by combining acoustic simulations and behavioral experiments.

A Novel Loss Tolerant Data Transmission Schemes for Airborne Telemetry System of a Long Range Aerospace Vehicle

The on-board telemetry system of an aerospace vehicle sends the vehicle performance parameters to the ground receiving station at all instances of its trajectory. During the course of its trajectory, the communication channel of a long range vehicle, experiences various phenomena such as plume attenuation, stage separation, manoeuvring of a vehicle and RF blackout, causing loss of valuable telemetry data. The loss of communication link is inevitable due to these harsh conditions even when using the space diversity of ground receiving systems. Conventional telemetry systems do not provide redundant data for long range aerospace vehicles. This research work proposes an innovative delay data transmission, frame switchover and multiple frames data transmission schemes to improve the availability of telemetry data at ground receiving stations. The proposed innovative schemes are modelled using VHDL and extensive simulations have been performed to validate the results. The functionally simulated net list has been synthesised with 130 nm ACTEL flash based FPGA and verified on telemetry hardware.

Dynamic drill-string modeling for acoustic telemetry

Directional drilling techniques require real-time sensing of the drill bit direction and the downhole environment from the measurement-while-drilling (MWD) sensor module. Traditional telemetry methods such as the mud-pulse telemetry are limited to low transmission rates. Acoustic telemetry is a method used for transmitting downhole sensor data and it is orders of magnitude faster than conventional telemetry techniques. However, the selection of appropriate carrier frequencies is critically important to transmit measured data. This study proposes a finite element (FE) model based on the Timoshenko beam theory that predicts dynamics of a drill-string over a wide frequency range and boundary condition. Additionally, a modulated acoustic transmission is developed and performed using the determined carrier frequencies. The signal is modulated using differential binary phase shift keying (DBPSK) and is up-converted to the carrier frequency used for the excitation of the drill-string. Packets of bits are first generated as the telemetry data and then convolutionally encoded to reduce errors at the receiver. The receiver at the surface demodulates and decodes the received acceleration signals to recover the transmitted bits through a digitally implemented lock-in amplifier (LIA). Finally, the transmitted and received bits are compared to calculate the bit-error rate (BER) for each signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) condition. By using the LIA, the receiver can extract severely attenuated acoustic signals, but the dynamics of the drill-string and the additional borehole interactions can degrade the performance of the acoustic telemetry system.

Basking shark sub-surface behaviour revealed by animal-towed cameras.

While biologging tags have answered a wealth of ecological questions, the drivers and consequences of movement and activity often remain difficult to ascertain, particularly marine vertebrates which are difficult to observe directly. Basking sharks, the second largest shark species in the world, aggregate in the summer in key foraging sites but despite advances in biologging technologies, little is known about their breeding ecology and sub-surface behaviour. Advances in camera technologies holds potential for filling in these knowledge gaps by providing environmental context and validating behaviours recorded with conventional telemetry. Six basking sharks were tagged at their feeding site in the Sea of Hebrides, Scotland, with towed cameras combined with time-depth recorders and satellite telemetry. Cameras recorded a cumulative 123 hours of video data over an average 64-hour deployment and confirmed the position of the sharks within the water column. Feeding events only occurred within a metre depth and made up ¾ of the time spent swimming near the surface. Sharks maintained similar tail beat frequencies regardless of whether feeding, swimming near the surface or the seabed, where they spent surprisingly up to 88% of daylight hours. This study reported the first complete breaching event and the first sub-surface putative courtship display, with nose-to-tail chasing, parallel swimming as well as the first observation of grouping behaviour near the seabed. Social groups of sharks are thought to be very short term and sporadic, and may play a role in finding breeding partners, particularly in solitary sharks which may use aggregations as an opportunity to breed. In situ observation of basking sharks at their seasonal aggregation site through animal borne cameras revealed unprecedented insight into the social and environmental context of basking shark behaviour which were previously limited to surface observations.

Устройство бесконтактного измерения гололедной массы на проводах воздушных линий электропередачи

Ice buildup monitoring is essential to prevent wire breakage on overhead power lines. Conventional telemetry systems which are based on load cell sensors have some drawbacks as reflected in this paper. We suggest an innovative device for contactless ice buildup monitoring of overhead power line wires video recording the power line clearance. A specific algorithm for detecting the lowest point of wire sag has been provided. Also, we analyze a possibility of indirect contact sensor-free measurements of a wire temperature when the wire is being covered by icy deposits. A specific buildup type can be determined comparing a dew point and desublimation point as shown in this paper.

Evaluation of Automated Radio Telemetry for Quantifying Movements and Home Ranges of Snakes

We evaluated an automated telemetry system that can dramatically increase the amount of activity and spatial data collected for snakes. We developed methods for analyzing data from single automated receiving units (ARUs) and ARU arrays, compared results from ARUs with conventional hand tracking, and assessed previously untested assumptions used in conventional telemetry, using data from ratsnakes (Pantherophis spp.) in Texas and Illinois. ARU data indicated that ratsnakes spent most of their time in small home ranges (mean = 25 ha) but engaged in forays of up to 1.5 km from their core-use areas, suggesting this species may engage in central place foraging. Forays inflated home-range sizes greatly if areas were estimated using minimum convex polygons rather than 95% kernels. Large numbers of locations generated by ARUs produce more reliable home-range estimates than those from hand tracking. ARU data indicated that snakes moved in response to observers during hand tracking. Daily hand tracking produced reliable estimates of distances moved but underestimated distances by a factor of 4 when snakes were tracked every 5 days. Drawbacks of ARUs are that the error associated with individual locations exceeds that for hand-tracked locations and that the costs exceed those for hand tracking. Automated receivers can increase data greatly from radio-tracked snakes, providing novel insights unavailable from conventional hand tracking. There are drawbacks to this technology, some of which will vary among study species; therefore, researchers should evaluate the appropriateness of the technology for both the study species and the questions being asked.

Seasonal movements and habitat use of river whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) in the Koitajoki River (Finland), as determined by Carlin tagging and acoustic telemetry

In the Koitajoki River, Eastern Finland, there exists a self-sustaining population of river-spawning densely rakered whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus pallasi). The population has been classified as near-threatened due to overexploitation and possible hybridization with the lake-spawning sparsely rakered whitefish form. Thus, knowledge of habitat use, movements, and migrations is important for threat assessment and management decisions. We employed conventional tagging and acoustic telemetry to provide information on movements and home range of the Koitajoki River whitefish. We tagged mature individuals at their spawning areas and followed fish movements by tag recoveries and continuously recording fixed receiving stations. The maximum movement distances were 40–50 km both upstream and downstream from the releasing site. There were indications of a clear seasonal migration pattern and spawning-site fidelity; riverine habitats were mainly occupied for spawning and overwintering, while feeding and growth mainly took place in lacustrine environments within several lakes of the river system. Due to their migratory nature, whitefish is vulnerable to environmental disturbances and overfishing in a large geographic area.

A Structured Reading Algorithm Improves Telemetric Detection of Atrial Fibrillation After Acute Ischemic Stroke

Anticoagulation is a highly effective secondary prevention in patients with cardioembolic stroke and atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF). However, the condition remains underdiagnosed, because paroxysmal AF may be missed by diagnostic tests in the acute phase. In this study, the sensitivity of AF detection was assessed for serial electrocardiographic recordings and continuous stroke unit telemetric monitoring with or without a structured algorithm to analyze telemetric data (SEA-AF). Three hundred forty-six consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke were prospectively included and subjected to standard telemetric monitoring. In addition, telemetric data were separately analyzed following SEA-AF, consisting of a structured evaluation of episodes with high risk for AF and a chronological beat-to-beat screening of the full registration. Serial electrocardiograms were conducted in 24-hour intervals. Median effective telemetry monitoring time was 75.5 hours (interquartile range 64-86 hours). Overall, AF was diagnosed in 119 of 346 patients (34.4%). The structured reading algorithm was the most sensitive method to detected AF. Conventional telemetry and serial electrocardiographic assessments were less effective. However, only 35% of patients with previously documented paroxysmal AF and negative baseline electrocardiogram demonstrated AF episodes during monitoring. Continuous stroke unit telemetry using SEA-AF shows a significantly higher detection rate for AF compared with daily electrocardiographic assessments and standard telemetry without structured reading. The low overall probability to detect paroxysmal AF with either method during the first days after stroke demonstrates the urgent need for complementary diagnostic strategies such as long-term monitoring and frequent follow-up assessments. Clinical Trial Registration- URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01177748.

Seasonal Movements and Environmental Triggers to Fall Migration of Sage Sparrows

Post-breeding ecology of shrubland passerines prior to onset of migration is unknown relative to dynamics of breeding areas. We radiomarked and monitored 38 Sage Sparrows (Amphispiza belli ssp. nevadensis) at one site in Oregon and two in Nevada from September to mid-November 2007 to track local movements, estimate seasonal range sizes, and characterize weather patterns triggering onset of migration. Median area used by Sage Sparrows monitored between 3 and 18 days during or prior to migration was 14 ha; maximum daily movement was 15 km. Radio-marked Sage Sparrows at each location departed individually, rather than en masse, corresponding with passage of cold front weather systems. Conventional telemetry techniques limited our ability to monitor Sage Sparrows beyond pre-migratory periods and precluded detecting and tracking actual movements during migration.

Understanding the Migratory Orientation Program of Birds: Extending Laboratory Studies to Study Free-Flying Migrants in a Natural Setting

For many years, orientation in migratory birds has primarily been studied in the laboratory. Although a laboratory-based setting enables greater control over environmental cues, the laboratory-based findings must be confirmed in the wild in free-flying birds to be able to fully understand how birds orient during migration. Despite the difficulties associated with following free-flying birds over long distances, a number of possibilities currently exist for tracking the long distance, sometimes even globe-spanning, journeys undertaken by migrating birds. Birds fitted with radio transmitters can either be located from the ground or from aircraft (conventional tracking), or from space. Alternatively, positional information obtained by onboard equipment (e.g., GPS units) can be transmitted to receivers in space. Use of these tracking methods has provided a wealth of information on migratory behaviors that are otherwise very difficult to study. Here, we focus on the progress in understanding certain components of the migration-orientation system. Comparably exciting results can be expected in the future from tracking free-flying migrants in the wild. Use of orientation cues has been studied in migrating raptors (satellite telemetry) and thrushes (conventional telemetry), highlighting that findings in the natural setting may not always be as expected on the basis of cage-experiments. Furthermore, field tracking methods combined with experimental approaches have finally allowed for an extension of the paradigmatic displacement experiments performed by Perdeck in 1958 on the short-distance, social migrant, the starling, to long-distance migrating storks and long-distance, non-socially migrating passerines. Results from these studies provide fundamental insights into the nature of the migratory orientation system that enables experienced birds to navigate and guide inexperienced, young birds to their species-specific winter grounds.

Telemetry Via Wi-Fi: A Case Study

Telemetry Via Wi-Fi: A Case Study

Satellite tracking of wild dogs in south-eastern mainland Australian forests: Implications for management of a problematic top-order carnivore

Satellite tracking was used to follow the movements of a problematic top-order carnivore, the wild dog (Canis lupus dingo, C. lupus familiaris and their hybrids), in contiguous forested landscapes in south-eastern mainland Australia. Home range sizes of wild dogs were much larger than previously determined using conventional telemetry methods, averaging 10,000ha with a maximum size of 59,000ha over approximate 3-month periods. Wild dogs at sites with high abundance of kangaroos, wallabies and rabbits had smaller areas of occupancy than did dogs at sites with low availability of these preys. Despite mostly large home ranges, tracked animals were loyal to publicly-owned tenure and there were few instances where individuals moved large distances on to adjacent private tenure. Instead, movement behaviours of most tracked animals were characterised by repeated short distance forays, often at acute angles from previous locations. Consequently, home ranges were stable and otherwise well defined. Analysis of DNA from our study animals indicated that most individuals were of ‘dingo’ ancestry, but otherwise considered hybrids because of the presence of domestic dog genes. Only two of 24 animals could be considered as ‘pure’ dingo. Contemporary wild dog management demarcates lands where control is or is not undertaken, with the latter notionally acting to ‘conserve’ dingoes. Due to the large scale of movement of animals, existing control efforts likely impact over a greater area than previously suspected. Furthermore, our genetic findings suggest that conservation of dingoes in south-eastern mainland Australia is difficult to achieve. A modified approach to wild dog management is needed, taking account of the extent of range of individual animals and the existing genetic characteristics of populations.

Spatial behaviour of young‐of‐the‐year northern pike (Esox lucius L.) in a temporarily flooded nursery area

Abstract – Unlike adult northern pike (Esox lucius), small‐bodied young‐of‐the‐year (YOY) individuals cannot be tracked by conventional telemetry, and virtually no data exist on their spatial behaviour. Here, we monitored 192 individuals released into a nursery area (0.47 ha, subdivided into 253 cells of 4 m × 5 m) that dried out progressively using a portable passive integrated transponder detector. Among them, 66 spent more than 5 days in the nursery area and were localised at least twice, allowing spatial behaviour analyses. The mean radial distance moved averaged 14.3 m (±8.4 SD, range 2.2–41.0) and the average daily movement was 8.0 m·day−1 (±5.3 SD, range 0.6–31.1). Pike abundance in a cell significantly correlated with the abundance observed in adjacent cells within 32 m, confirming a patchy distribution. A selective use of the deepest area was measured while no effect of vegetation cover was observed at the cell scale. The existence of YOY pike aggregations and the positive correlation between water depth and their spatial distribution might, however, facilitate predation and/or cannibalism during this critical period. This also suggests that the choice of release habitats requires particular attention during restocking procedures.

Wireless Cardiac Event Alert Monitoring is Feasible and Effective in the Emergency Department and Adjacent Waiting Areas

The need for vigilance for unexpected clinical deterioration in the emergency department (ED) waiting area and in unmonitored treatment areas of the ED continues to increase. We sought to determine in an observational study the feasibility and relative false-alarm burden of, and satisfaction with, a novel wireless automated clinician alert device for cardiac rate and rhythm derangements in a teaching hospital ED. Patients presenting with a variety of complaints who after ED triage were not placed on conventional telemetric monitoring (by standard triage policy) were considered for inclusion. Those enrolled in the study were then monitored in the waiting room and in the ED proper via a wireless, one-lead ECG device that, through relay hubs installed in the ED ceiling, alerted clinicians via desktop computers at regular ED work stations to the presence of asystole, ventricular fibrillation, and bradycardia and tachycardia in those patients. The device is not a conventional telemetry monitor, in that it does not provide streaming visual monitoring capability; instead, it provides alarms and one-lead ECG data when triggered by specific rate and rhythm deviations.A total of 298 ED patients (30.2% patients triaged after a run-in period) were monitored, for a mean duration of 3.53 hours. Productive clinical alarms (those that prompted a change in patient therapy, location, or intensity of monitoring) occurred in 20 patients (6.7%); the most common response to an alert was earlier transition from the waiting room into a clinical space in the ED. There were 10 false-positive asystole or ventricular fibrillation alarms in 4 patients (1.3%), all of which were readily attributable to nonclinical origins, such as poor lead adherence. There was excellent satisfaction with the device from both patients and clinical personnel. Wireless cardiac event monitoring is feasible in the ED, and improves the throughput of ED patients with worsening vital signs, and may improve overall patient safety, without an onerous burden of nonproductive alarms.

Medical-Grade, Mission-Critical Wireless Networks [Designing an Enterprise Mobility Solution in the Healthcare Environment

Today's healthcare environment requires an enterprise mobility solution for both patients and staff. Separate isolated networks are suboptimal from cost, management, scalability, and reliability perspectives. The wireless medical telemetry system (WMTS) does not provide sufficient bandwidth for many hospitals. Therefore, some seek to operate outside of the WMTS. Standards-based 802.11 networks with published reliability tenfold higher than conventional telemetry already meet the requirements for supporting life-critical applications. These 802.11 networks are easily supported on an enterprise scale, and they have advanced and matured to meet the needs for life-critical applications on an enterprise-wide shared network. To achieve peak performance, any network must be properly designed, installed, and validated for its intended use. To maintain peak performance, the network must be actively monitored and managed.