Summary of ARRIBADA HORIZON PLATFORM – AN OPEN SOURCE BASED ARGOS TRANSMITTER.
Arribada developed the Horizon, an open-source, Arduino-style ARGOS transmitter platform to integrate ARGOS satellite telemetry into sea turtle tags, enabling global tracking of migratory and marine species affordably and flexibly.
Parts used in the Arribada Horizon:
- ARGOS transmitter module
- Microcontroller in Arduino-style form factor
- Antenna for satellite communication
- Power source/battery suitable for long deployments
- Enclosure for biologging tag
- Sensors for biologging (e.g., location, movement)
- Connectors and mounting hardware for sea turtle tag
- Firmware/software compatible with ARGOS telemetry
- Development and programming interface (Arduino-compatible)
- Integration support components from Icoteq Ltd and CLS telemetry
Argos is a satellite-based system that collects, processes, and disseminates environmental data from fixed and mobile platforms worldwide. What makes Argos unique is the ability to geographically locate the source of the data anywhere on the Earth utilizing the Doppler effect. The Argos system itself comprises of six satellites, which follow polar orbits at an altitude of about 850km (530 miles), 50 terrestrial receiving stations, and two data processing centers. Unlike the Global Positioning System (GPS) that needs a minimum of three satellites to be in range to pinpoint an object’s location, Argos requires just one satellite to “see” a transmitter to do this.
The Argos platform allows engineers, scientists, researchers, students around the worked to track environmental things. Argos transmitters have been deployed on plastics tracking and animals, especially marine mammals like walruses and sea turtles. They easily find applications requiring long-distance movement tracking of both coastal and oceanic species.
In as much Argos provides an avenue to deploy environmental applications, the transmitters used for them don’t usually come cheap. They are mostly closed source, meaning integrating into a custom solution is almost impossible. This is a daunting challenge, especially for a researcher working on custom projects different from the everyday use of Argos. This is the challenge Arribada has decided to address by creating an open ARGOS transmitter reference design in an Arduino style like settings called the Arribada Horizon.
How could we include ARGOS satellite telemetry within the design of the Arribada Horizon sea turtle tag to enable our users to track migratory sea turtles?
Arribada already offers an inter-nestal tag that enables users to track sea turtles migration movement. The inspiration for the Arribada Horizon open-source initiative came from the contest hosted by CLS to develop an open-source transmitter. Arribada team up with Icoteq Ltd, a wireless technology engineering firm for the development of the transmitter, and is in partnership with CLS telemetry to launch the Horizon. A fully featured plug-and-play biologging platform that can be used to transmit to ARGOS satellites from anywhere.
Read more: ARRIBADA HORIZON PLATFORM – AN OPEN SOURCE BASED ARGOS TRANSMITTER.
- What is the Arribada Horizon?
The Arribada Horizon is an open-source, Arduino-style ARGOS transmitter platform for biologging and satellite telemetry. - How does Arribada Horizon enable sea turtle tracking?
By integrating an ARGOS transmitter into the sea turtle tag so it can transmit location data to ARGOS satellites. - Who collaborated to develop the Horizon transmitter?
Arribada teamed up with Icoteq Ltd and partnered with CLS telemetry to develop the Horizon. - Why create an open-source ARGOS transmitter?
Because many existing transmitters are closed source and expensive, limiting custom integration for researchers. - How many ARGOS satellites are in the system used by Horizon?
The ARGOS system comprises six satellites in polar orbit. - Does ARGOS require multiple satellites to locate a transmitter?
No, ARGOS can geographically locate a transmitter with just one satellite using the Doppler effect. - What kinds of applications has ARGOS been used for?
ARGOS has been used to track plastics and animals, especially marine mammals and sea turtles, for long-distance movement tracking. - What spurred the development of the Arribada Horizon?
The CLS contest to develop an open-source transmitter inspired the Arribada Horizon initiative.
