Indoor Positioning System Cory Anderson Rylan Grant Herbert Mueller Project Supervisor: Dr. Li Chen

Presentation Overview ► Project Goal ► Requirements & Specifications ► Engineering Approach  Project Tasks ► System Overview ► Project Management ► System Demonstration ► Conclusions

Project Goal ► To utilize a positioning system that can be used in an indoor environment and incorporate a completely web based user interface.

Requirements & Specifications ► Environment  To be used in an indoor setting  Operational temperature range between -20°C and 50°C  Should be of “industrial strength” for use in a typical manufacturing setting ► Range  Cover a minimum area of 50m x 50m

Requirements & Specifications ► Accuracy  Tolerance to within a one meter radius ► User Interface  Operational on any standard PC  Able to view data for each object  Positional information should be accessible over a standard network  No application software need be installed

Requirements & Specifications ► Installation  Should be easily performed by in-house staff ► Reliability / Maintenance  Will be as reliable as the network infrastructure the system resides on  Indicator LEDs shall be available  Mobile units must be operable for a minimum of twelve hours of battery power

Requirements & Specifications ► Cost  The prototype shall cost no more than $1000  High volume production units shall cost no more than $500 ► Physical Attributes  No larger than 150mm x 150mm x 300mm  Weigh no more than 3kg  Resistant to air particulate and moisture

Engineering Approach ► Design and manufacture a positioning system using wireless routers as reference nodes  This method would allow us to easily deploy a positioning system using an existing WiFi (802.11) network  We developed a design for a directional antenna capable of triangulating position information by calculating carrier wave intensity emitted by the routers

Engineering Approach ► Carrier signal is very “bursty” in nature ► Intensity Calculations  Bit error  Signal strength

Engineering Approach ► Employ the Chipcon CC2430 microcontroller utilizing the ZigBee protocol ( ) to determine ranging using intensity calculations  Lower cost  Increased scalability  Customized ranging capabilities  Smaller infrastructure footprint

Project Tasks ► Develop and test positioning routines for mobile and stationary units ► Design a communication interface between the Chipcon hardware and the Rabbit microcontroller (Serial Peripheral Interface or SPI) ► Convert Chipcon data into a manageable standard and format as extensible mark-up language (XML)

Project Tasks ► Design and program a custom XML streaming data server  Multiple TCP/IP connections  Must accept and interpret inbound XML data  Must format and stream outbound XML data in real-time to all listening connections  Compatible with the Ethernet enabled Rabbit microcontroller

Project Tasks ► Develop a platform independent web based graphical user interface (GUI)  Authenticate the user  Establish a connection to the XML streaming data server  Receive and parse the incoming XML data to be displayed to the user in real time  Send commands and XML data to the server

Project Tasks ► Design the circuitry for the root, specialty reference, and blind nodes ► Design and construct printed circuit boards ► Install components into demonstration enclosures

System Overview ► Blind Node ► Reference Node ► Root Node ► Server ► Client

Project Management ► Key Milestones  SPI software complete | February 8 th  Rabbit XML conversion routine complete | February 11 th  Bottom block report complete | February 23 rd  Working breadboards/programs of individual blocks and complete system were demonstrated | February 25 th  PCB layouts complete | March 3 rd  Final GUI version complete | March 5th  Install modules into enclosures | March 10 th  Final presentation | March 12 th  Final report due | March 26 th

Project Management ► Development costs Mass production costs less than $150 Chipcon Development Kit $ Integrated Circuits $80.94 Resistors$6.39 Capacitors$0.64 Diodes$2.73 Miscellaneous Parts $60.44 $650.14

Project Management ► Resource Allocation (development hours)

System Demonstration

Conclusions ► Suggested Further Study  Hybrid ranging/directional antenna implementation  A more advanced routable network could be employed  Miniaturization

Conclusions ► Future Development  Accuracy refinement  Cost reduction  Power ► Increased battery life ► Reduction in power consumption ► Permanent power source  Interface with current GPS technology for seamless use between environments  Integration into existing products

Conclusions ► Eventual Applications  Warehouse logistics & inventory  Factory automation  Mining industry  Airports (luggage, personnel, passengers)  Smart home  Malls / Hospitals

Acknowledgements ► Garth Wells | Synchrotron Laboratory for Micro & Nano Devices (SyLMAND) ► Jack Hanson | TRLabs ► Joe Dudiak | Startco Engineering Ltd. ► Dave Karaloff | U of S Technical Staff ► Serge Nazarenko | U of S Technical Staff ► Rlee Prokopishyn | U of S Technical Staff ► Li Chen | U of S Faculty