Undergraduate Research: Remote tracking of lemurs – GPS collar power and solar panel optimization

Lemurs, the most endangered mammal taxa on earth, respond to fragmentation and ecological stress in various ways. In order to assess how lemurs respond spatially to changes in habitat structure and to work towards effective conservation methods, quantitative measurements of animal behavior in the wild are required. We are seeking an undergraduate student to participate in research for academic credit during the Spring 2019 semester. The objective for the semester is optimizing the power and solar panel of our GPS collars (equipped with GPS chip, RFID chip, accelerometer, battery, etc.). The student must have experience with Arduino technology. The student will be supervised by Meredith Semel (Biological Sciences) and Nicole Abaid (Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics). An A-F grade will be assigned for the semester based on successful completion of GPS collar optimization. Weekly meetings will be used for assessing participation.

Contact Meredith Semel if interested: merak91@vt.edu