Multi-Resonance Wireless Sensor Array for Scalable Animal Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for monitoring small animal behaviors in large scales, such as hundreds or thousands of animal cages, are not scalable, accurate, or cost-effective, primarily due to the need for proper lighting and the limitations of existing tracking technologies.
Innovation Solution
A multi-resonance frequencies bifurcation-based passive wireless sensing system using a sensor array with sensing resonators and a reading coil, coupled with dual-input transfer learning, to detect and track the movements of small animals without the need for lighting, enabling scalable monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional RGB cameras are used for tracking, then image capturing capability is improved, but lighting requirements increase system complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces optical imaging systems (RGB cameras requiring lighting) with electromagnetic sensing systems (inductive sensors). This substitution eliminates the need for lighting infrastructure while enabling tracking through electromagnetic field interactions with animals wearing RFID tags, directly resolving the contradiction between measurement capability and lighting complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces RFID tags as intermediary objects that facilitate detection. These passive tags embedded in animal collars act as mediators between the tracking system and animals, allowing detection through electromagnetic coupling without requiring direct optical imaging or active lighting, thus solving the lighting requirement issue
2Measurement precision
If conventional tracking methods are deployed, then individual animal monitoring is achieved, but scalability to hundreds or thousands of cages is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal tracking infrastructure where a single array of inductive sensors can simultaneously monitor multiple animals across numerous cages. The system processes RFID tag signals from multiple sources concurrently, enabling one system to serve multiple functions (tracking, identification, behavior monitoring) and scale to facility-wide deployment without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the monitoring task into independent modular units: RFID tags on individual animals and sensor arrays that can be distributed across cages. This segmentation allows the system to scale by adding more sensor nodes and tags independently, transforming a monolithic tracking problem into parallelizable modular components
3Device complexity
If passive wireless sensing is used, then lighting independence is achieved, but detection of small animals requires multi-resonance frequency analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent exploits electromagnetic resonance phenomena where sensing coils detect shifts in resonant frequency caused by proximity to RFID tags. By analyzing frequency domain characteristics and resonance patterns, the system extracts positional and behavioral information from animals, transforming a complex detection problem into frequency analysis of electromagnetic oscillations
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides accurate, continuous, and cost-effective monitoring of small animal behaviors, enabling researchers to study behaviors and physiological disorders like epilepsy on a large scale without the limitations of conventional methods.
Implementation Method 1
A sensor array having a multi-resonance inductive link formed of sensing resonators (e.g., LC tanks) is positioned at a bottom of an area where one or more objects, such as laboratory mice
Implementation Method 2
A reading coil element that is comprised of a conductive loop is electromagnetically coupled to and is positioned near the sensing resonators
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides tracking systems and methods. One such method comprises generating a continuous wave signal over a frequency range; applying the continuous wave signal to a reading coil element that is electromagnetically coupled to a sensor array, in which the sensor array comprises a plurality of sensing resonators tuned at different resonance frequencies, where an output frequency response of the sensor array varies as a function of a location of a target object or a shape of the target object within a coverage area of the sensor array; acquiring frequency spectrum data showing changes in the output frequency response of the sensor array from the reading coil element; and predicting, by a control unit device using machine learning, a location of the target object within the coverage area or a behavior of the target object based on the acquired frequency spectrum data. Other methods and systems are also provided.