Tech In Real Life

The -o-b-a-T-s

In the past issues of beanz, we’ve covered how the Internet of Things (IoT) can help humans in all kinds of areas. We can use gadgets to help us farm, generate power from the sea, or just connect with other gadgets. However, did you know that animals can also make use of IoT devices like we do?

Of course, you won’t find a penguin or a lion in your local Apple store asking around for the latest “tech toys”. However, scientists are now using the power of IoT to keep track of how animals are doing and to ensure they’re okay.

For instance; how do you know if an elephant is getting enough exercise? Unless, of course, you watch it all day and night to ensure it’s going out for its daily jog. We already have gadgets that can get this information for us like the watches or bands that can track how many steps you’ve taken, or your current heart rate. One of these would be amazing for keeping track of an elephant’s exercise, but there’s a problem; elephants are way too big! Human health trackers are designed to go around our dainty little wrists, while an elephant’s foot is over 40cm in diameter!

So, researchers had to invent a new exercise tracker that will fit on an elephant, and it’s affectionately known as the “FitBit for elephants”. It helped the researchers keep track of what the huge beasts were up to, giving them the 24/7 surveillance they would not otherwise have. This knowledge will help animal scientists learn more about how to keep elephants healthy.

Here’s another question. How do you track a bat? Bats can be very flighty and can dart around quickly, so it’s hard to follow the same bat with just your eyes. However, IoT devices aren’t so easily tricked, making them a perfect method for tracking these creatures of the night.

For example, a research team wanted to see how bats responded when they’re ill. They put little tracking backpacks on 31 bats, then injected half the bats with a harmless chemical that tricked their bodies into thinking they were ill. The other half was injected with a water-based salt solution which did nothing. This was just to ensure that the bats were responding to what was injected rather than the act of injection itself.

Sure enough, the researchers discovered that the bats that felt ill distanced themselves from other bats and limited the time they spent with others, much like how we went into lockdown during the COVID outbreak. This research would not have been possible without the bats and their little tracking backpacks. This is important, because bats are in danger in some areas. We need our bat population to stay healthy and stable because they are such an important part of our ecosystem. The more we know about their behavior, the more we can understand how to help them.

It goes to show how technology and nature can go hand-in-hand. What kind of IoT gadgets would you make? Would you like a device that lets you know what your dog is saying, or put a camera on a mole to see it tunneling around underground? Your imagination is the only limit! b

I don't feel so good. I'm going home to socially distance.