About
Argos is a comprehensive satellite environmental monitoring platform operated by CLS Group that enables near real-time location tracking and telemetry data collection from virtually anywhere on Earth. Leveraging Kinéis' global satellite network, Argos delivers cutting-edge IoT solutions across a broad range of domains including wildlife monitoring, smart agriculture, pollution detection, and scientific research in oceanography, meteorology, hydrology, and glaciology. For wildlife researchers, Argos supports tracking of birds, marine animals, land animals, and fish with purpose-built transmitters and tags. Agricultural users benefit from livestock tracking, herd management tools, soil quality sensors, and water management capabilities. Environmental agencies can monitor plastic pollution, oil spills, air quality, and sargassum blooms using in-situ sensors and satellite data integration. The platform offers ready-to-integrate hardware including animal trackers, drifting buoys, ice buoys, and subsurface floats. Value-added services include special data processing pipelines, customizable dashboards, environmental modeling tools, and AI-powered data analysis. The ArgosWeb portal centralizes data management, while the Platform Finder tool allows field operators to locate active units within a 100 km range. With flexible, low-cost airtime plans and decades of proven operational reliability, Argos is the go-to satellite telemetry solution for scientists, NGOs, international agencies, and agri-tech businesses seeking to understand, protect, and sustainably manage the Earth's ecosystems.
Key Features
- Satellite Wildlife Tracking: Track birds, marine animals, land animals, and fish in near real-time using purpose-built transmitters and global Kinéis satellite coverage.
- Multi-Domain Environmental Monitoring: Monitor oceanography, meteorology, hydrology, glaciology, and pollution (plastic, oil, air, sargassum) from a single integrated platform.
- Ready-to-Integrate IoT Hardware: Choose from a range of pre-built trackers, modems, drifting buoys, and ice buoys designed for quick field deployment.
- AI-Powered Data Analysis: Apply artificial intelligence and environmental modeling tools to improve research quality, detect patterns, and make data-driven predictions.
- Centralized Dashboards & Platform Finder: Manage all data types from one ArgosWeb dashboard and locate active field units within a 100 km radius using the Platform Finder tool.
Use Cases
- Tracking migratory bird populations across continents to study seasonal behavior, habitat use, and the impact of climate change on migration routes.
- Monitoring marine mammal movements, diving depths, and activity patterns to support marine conservation and fisheries management programs.
- Managing large livestock herds in remote rangelands using real-time GPS tracking and automated alerts for straying or unusual movement patterns.
- Deploying drifting buoys to collect oceanographic and meteorological data across open ocean regions for climate research and weather modeling.
- Detecting and monitoring plastic pollution, oil spills, and sargassum blooms at sea using in-situ sensors and integrated Earth Observation satellite data.
Pros
- True Global Coverage: Argos satellites cover the entire planet, enabling tracking and data collection in the most remote terrestrial and oceanic environments.
- Decades of Proven Reliability: Established in the 1980s, Argos has a long operational track record trusted by leading scientific institutions and environmental agencies worldwide.
- Versatile Multi-Domain Applications: One platform supports wildlife research, precision agriculture, pollution monitoring, and climate science, reducing the need for multiple specialized tools.
- Flexible Hardware & Airtime Options: A wide variety of hardware and low-cost, scalable airtime plans make Argos accessible for projects of different sizes and budgets.
Cons
- Enterprise-Level Costs: Satellite airtime fees and specialized hardware can make Argos prohibitively expensive for independent researchers or small organizations with limited budgets.
- Technical Integration Complexity: Setting up hardware, configuring transmitters, and integrating data pipelines may require specialized technical expertise not always available to end users.
- Latency Constraints: While near real-time, satellite pass schedules can introduce delays in data delivery compared to cellular-based tracking alternatives in connected regions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Argos system and how does it work?
Argos is a satellite-based tracking and data collection system operated by CLS Group. It uses a network of satellites (powered by Kinéis' global connectivity) to receive signals from small transmitters attached to animals, buoys, or environmental sensors, then relays the data to users via the ArgosWeb platform in near real-time.
What types of wildlife can be tracked with Argos?
Argos supports tracking of a wide variety of species including migratory birds, marine animals (seals, turtles, whales), land animals, and fish. Specialized transmitters and tags are available for each category, designed for different size, weight, and environmental requirements.
What hardware does Argos offer?
Argos provides a range of ready-to-deploy hardware including animal-borne transmitters, drifting and moored buoys, ice buoys, subsurface drifting floats, and modems that can be integrated into third-party devices. All hardware is designed for quick deployment and reliable satellite connectivity.
How does Argos use artificial intelligence?
Argos integrates AI tools to enhance data analysis capabilities, allowing researchers to detect behavioral patterns, identify anomalies, and generate predictive models from large environmental datasets. AI is applied across wildlife monitoring, pollution detection, and oceanographic research domains.
Is Argos suitable for agricultural applications?
Yes. Argos offers a complete Smart Agriculture suite including livestock tracking, herd management software, soil quality monitoring, and water management tools. These solutions help farmers and ranchers sustainably manage their operations, even in remote areas without cellular coverage.
