Sheffield 3D printing firm flying high after bird tracking project

Tom Fripp, director at Addition Design, noted the firm was happy to be playing a part in avian research.

He said: “We’re really proud to be working with PathTrack – a fellow Yorkshire company who are doing some really groundbreaking, important work in the field of avian science.

“The brief was to create plastic housings for the GPS devices to sit in when they’re attached to birds, so we needed to produce something extremely lightweight, waterproof and very hard-wearing.

“The result has been fantastic and it’s wonderful to think our work is playing a part in helping researchers learn more about bird migration around the world.”

Made using a fully traceable industrial grade of nylon, each housing is designed chiefly to protect the GPS components from damage caused by the pressure of oceanic depths in some cases, and potential damage from birds with strong beaks in others.

The design aims to enable researchers to monitor and track a greater number of migrating species across the globe.

PathTrack notably produced the world’s smallest GPS tracking technology, designed to revolutionise avian tracking science by enabling a greater range of bird species to be monitored, thanks to its lightweight devices.

Al Matthews, production technician and 3D designer at PathTrack, noted how the firm had been helping scientists in the avian tracking field.

He said: “Partnering with Addition Design on the production of our GPS device housings has already resulted in further innovations and we are enthusiastic about working on many more projects together.

“We’re proud to provide researchers with the world’s smallest GPS tracking technology and we’ve made a real impact in the field of avian tracking science by producing technology that can be applied to a very diverse range of bird species, both on land and in water, from large raptors to penguins, as well as tiny swifts and swallows.

“Because of this, we tasked Addition Design with meeting our very specific range of requirements, both in terms of the materials used and, importantly, the weight of the housing.

He added: “We’ve been impressed with their flexibility, communication and, importantly, the product created, which will continue to assist us in helping researchers around the globe track migrating birds, capturing vital data and science for our planet.”

Pathtrack’s devices have been used to track birds including Nightjars, Kittywakes, Puffins and Rockhopper Penguins, Hen Harriers, Kestrels and Burrowing Owls.