TEAM 12: ScouTrak
Spring 2011


MEMBERS

PROJECT CONCEPT

MOTIVATION

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Hardware:

Protocols:

REQUIREMENTS

   1. Arduino Base Station Requirements:

   R1.1 The Arduino shall maintain, and update a table containing the current positions of each client.
   R1.2 Each base station shall have its own unique ID.
   R1.3 Each base station must update client positions on every mobile client within range.

   2. ZigBee Modem Base Station Requirements:

   R2.1 Each ZigBee base station shall be paired with all other ZigBee modules within range.
   R2.2 Every client position/calculation must be shared with every surrounding base station (mesh).
   R2.3 Each base station must communicate its inputs/outputs to an Arduino board for interpretation.

   3. Adruino Client Requirements:

   R3.1 Every 0.25s, the Arduino board
       R3.1.1 - poll all RSSI data from base stations.
       R3.1.2 - calculate its own current position based on RSSI values received in R3.1.1.
       R3.1.3 - send it's newly calculated position from R3.1.2 to all base stations for storage.
       R3.1.4 - ask for all current positions of clients with the same team ID.
   R3.2 The Arduino board shall maintain a table containing the other clients' positions.
   R3.3 The Arduino board shall update the LCD display every 0.25s.
   R3.4 Each client shall have its own unique ID, and a shared team ID.

   4. ZigBee Modem Client Requirements:

   R4.1 Each ZigBee base station shall be paired with all other ZigBee modules within range.
   R4.2 Each message received from another base station or client shall be forwarded an Arduino board.

   5. ColorLCD Requirements:

   R5.1 LCD shall display the current location of the client.
   R5.2 LCD should display the location of all clients sharing the same team ID.

RISKS & MITIGATION STRATEGIES

                             Risk

                       Mitigation

RSSI values not corresponding well
with actual base station distances

Use signal time-of-arrival to help reduce error;
Use Link Quality Indication (LQI) values rather than RSSI

Battery life not being sufficient enough
for sustained gameplay

Perform triangulation calculations on base stations;
Consider inductive charging (similar to newer
wii remotes, etc.)

Signal strength interference due
to environmental obstructions/factors

Implement system in a non-obstructive setting;
Sample signal responses in a specific demonstration
location & implement a location-specific solution;
Increase the number of base stations

Presence of other base stations threatens
localization calculations/communication

Assign base station and client IDs that are
group-specific, and unique to avoid interference

TIME LAPSE



Raw Unfiltered Data Samples
Raw Unfiltered Data Samples 2

PRESENTATIONS & VIDEOS


Back to the top of this page
18-549 course home page