TauRIS®
flight recorder for pigeons
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The carrier pigeon secret soon disclosed?
Rüter EPV-Systeme GmbH, manufacturer and distributor of TauRIS, the Electronic Clocking System used worldwide, surprises us once again with a marvellous new development.
Together with Dr. Karen von Huenerbein, University of Frankfurt, the company based in Minden has developed a flight recorder for pigeons. This is a small micro-electronic rucksack which the pigeon carries on its back. Weighing only 33 g, the device is based on the satellite navigation technique (GPS), which is already familiar from the world of cars. Once a second the microprocessor stores the speed, the height and the position of the pigeon. After the return of the pigeon, the data can be downloaded to a computer and be shown as a complete flight path. In contrast to other known methods of tracking flight paths, the TauRIS flight recorder works with an amazing accuracy of +/- 25 m. This revolutionary innovation, awarded the first prize at the »GPS World Applications Contest 2000«, has already supplied new findings regarding the flight paths of pigeons. For zoologists and behavioural scientists this is a big step forward as the TauRIS flight recorder does not only work for pigeons by any means. The German company has already received various requests from zoologists and behavioural scientists from all over the world. Thus, among other things, research into the flight paths of albatrosses and behavioural studies of sea lions will be realized by the TauRIS flight recorder.
