geomorphdog's video: Science Vlog: Tracking Thousands of Gravel Tracers Tutorial Supercut

This video provides a tutorial for using an radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader to locate thousands of pieces of gravel embedded with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags, each with a unique RFID number. The method employs time-stamped video recording distances as they tick by on a so-called hipchain, a device which trails thread as a sort of disposable tape measure. The video shows how to process the logged RFID detections and time-stamped video to associate each detected tracer with a downstream distance. With this method, the so-called mobile tracking of RFID tracers can be done by a single person in settings where GPS is unreliable (e.g., under dense canopy in a deep, narrow valley). The video also features a "supercut" of the playback of mobile tracking along more than 3 km of stream during a total of 23 hours over six days at 200X speed. This bit features three songs: "Ace of Spaces" by Motorhead, "Heavy Metal: Black and Silver" by Blue Oyster Cult, and "Blending In" by Government Issue. Our project, and this video, were supported by the National Science Foundation, Geomorphology and Land-use Dynamics (EAR 1452091).