Fig 1.
A: An example of pole tagging. B: The racing drone used for tagging. C: A racing drone just prior to tagging.
Fig 2.
A: The Flight Controller and the Video Transmitter Unit prior to potting with thermally conductive epoxy. B: Flight Controller and the Video Transmitter Unit after potting. C: Adding liquid rubber around the camera (except the lens; the lens cap was left on). D: Coating the battery with liquid tape. E: Treating the motors with corrosion prevention compound.
Fig 3.
A bi-stable mechanical design (in red) is intended to release the tag when a downward force is applied (i.e., from impact when landing on the whale).
Fig 4.
A: Core drone. B: Waterproofed Drone. C: Waterproofed drone carrying a tag.
Table 1.
Comparison of drone specifications. The weight of the tag used in these estimates is 0.7 kg. The estimated flight time is based on the use of a 6S (22V averaged) 2900mAh battery and [12]. Note that the real world flight times are approximately 30% less than the theoretical values due to parameters such as video transmission (up to 9 W), drone design (motor arm and propeller guard impeding on the air flow), the flight environment (wind, air temperature, and density), and the drone operation (taking off or cruising towards the whale).
Fig 5.
A: Looking for whales. B: Launching the drone from the boat. C: Aligning the drone behind the whale prior to tag deployment. D: Tag deployment on the whale via “tap-and-go”. E: Drone return on the boat. F: Data recording on the whale. G: Tag retrieval. H: Data offload and tag reconditioning for the next deployment.
Fig 6.
Ideal tag deployment location.
The ideal deployment spot is between the dorsal fin and the blow hole, with a preference towards the front to be closer to the spermaceti organ.
Fig 7.
A: Drone launch from the boat. B: Drone alignment behind the whale. C: Passing the dorsal fin and synchronizing with waves breaking over the whale. D: Descent and tag adhesion to the whale. E: Post-deployment verification that the tag is stuck on the whale. F: Return to the boat.
Fig 8.
Limitations of the proposed tagging method.
A: The presence of water on the targeted adhesion spot of the whale can impede on suction cup adhesion. B: Windy conditions can make the flight challenging and requires wind compensation, affecting deployment accuracy. C: Hovering too long just above the whale will likely cause the whale to notice the drone and camber its back, resulting in the target deployment spot being underwater.