AntennaWare and Icoteq partner to bring reliable UWB precision tracking to wildlife conservation

Apr, '26 AntennaWare, specialists in antennas for difficult platforms including on-body and on-metal applications, has announced a collaboration with Icoteq, developers of TagRanger, a portable wildlife tracking system used by conservation researchers worldwide. The partnership sees AntennaWare's patented BodyWave™ UWB antenna integrated into the TagRanger tag and Finder device, delivering the accurate UWB localisation demanded by conservation fieldwork.

TagRanger gives researchers a comprehensive, infrastructure-free tracking platform they can take anywhere in the world. The system uses LoRaWAN for long-range network communication between the portable Finder gateway and tags attached to animals. When a researcher closes in on a tagged animal, a separate UWB radio takes over, enabling precise ranging down to centimetre level, and wireless download of GPS and operational logs from the tag. TagRanger is currently tracking species including pangolins, mongoose, wild dogs, and giant tortoises across multiple continents.

UWB tags placed on animal bodies are subject to the same body-absorption and detuning effects that affect all on-body wireless devices, degrading the signal and reducing accuracy and reliability of the connection, particularly in Non-Line-of-Sight conditions. This matters acutely in wildlife tracking, due to the dynamic movement of the animal, which, combined with environmental features, results in Non-Line-of-Sight (NLoS) conditions. It is therefore critical that the tracking system performs equally well in all directions to maintain accuracy.

AntennaWare’s patented BodyWave™ UWB antenna addresses the challenge of NLoS communications directly, improving the link budget by 6 to 12dB. For our partners, this results in a system that delivers greater communication range and accuracy in on-body localisation applications, plus lower power consumption, i.e., “Double the distance, half the power consumption”.

A recent trial in South Africa demonstrated the real-world impact when a TagRanger tag detached from a tortoise shell and disappeared into the undergrowth, completely camouflaged by the environment and essentially invisible to both the eye and in photos. Using the UWB tracking capability of the Finder, the team located the tag, narrowing down to centimetres until the tag was found, remaining invisible to the eye.

Craig Rackstraw, Managing Director of Icoteq, comments, "We did a proper 360-degree antenna gain plot with BodyWave™, and it came out really even all the way round. That uniformity is exactly what we need for accurate tracking, and that's what we get with the BodyWave™ antenna."

AntennaWare's CEO and Co-Founder, Dr Gareth Conway, said, "A tag on an animal faces the same on-body wireless challenge as any wearable device. BodyWave™ was designed precisely for this, better range and more accurate data under challenging conditions. As a company, we are excited to see BodyWave™ technology being used in animal conservation and the broader impact that accurate and convenient tracking in areas without existing wireless infrastructure will have.”

Founded in 2020 by Dr. Gareth Conway and Dr. Matthew Magill as a spin-out from Queen’s University Belfast, AntennaWare combines 20 years of cutting-edge academic research with industry expertise to develop the Bodywave™ antennas. Their patented antenna technology has resulted in a new standard of reliability in wireless connection for devices placed on or near difficult platforms (such as the body or metal) across the audio, Industrial IoT, sports wearables, and healthcare sectors. For more information, visit antennaware.com

Icoteq is a UK-based RF and wireless technology design consultancy specialising in the development of innovative IoT products and systems, with particular expertise in ultra-wideband technology. TagRanger is Icoteq's wildlife asset tracking platform, combining LoRaWAN long-range connectivity with UWB close-range precision finding in a portable, infrastructure-free system designed for use anywhere in the world. For more information, visit www.tagranger.com.