Facilitating data communication between supervised modules in a distributed unmanned aerial vehicle software architecture

Amato-Yarbrough, Matthew Blake (2023) Facilitating data communication between supervised modules in a distributed unmanned aerial vehicle software architecture. Masters thesis, Northern Arizona University.

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Abstract

This thesis addresses the challenges and inefficiencies associated with traditional very high frequency (VHF) radio tag-based wildlife tracking methods. Researchers have historically relied on manual tracking, involving extensive travel to remote locations and the use of handheld radios for signal detection. This approach consumes significant time and resources, hampering research efforts to understand animal behavior, demographics, and habitat utilization. To mitigate these challenges, this thesis proposes a robust and versatile distributed software architecture that leverages modern technologies to enhance the precision and effectiveness of VHF radio tagging data collection. This architecture is specifically tailored to operate on companion computers with hardware limitations, which are deployed on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). UAVs offer a novel solution that not only enhances tracking efficiency but also overcomes obstacles related to terrain affordance and minimizing disturbances to local wildlife. The findings of this thesis will contribute to the broader field of wildlife research by demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of UAV-based VHF radio tagging, paving the way for more accurate and efficient data collection in the future.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Publisher’s Statement:	© Copyright is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Cline Library, Northern Arizona University. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
Keywords:	Communication architecture; ROS 2; Signal processing; UAV; UAV-RT; Wildlife tracking
Subjects:	Q Science > QL Zoology
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status:	Student
Department/Unit:	Graduate College > Theses and Dissertations College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences > School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems
Date Deposited:	23 Oct 2025 17:53
Last Modified:	23 Oct 2025 17:53
URI:	https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/6268

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