codersilver
Formulation of the problem:
Currently a classic monitoring and protection system use of stationary cameras that monitor only the part of the area that should be protected. This disadvantage causes that the system is incomplete and provides only partial control over what is happening in the protected area. Additionally, the camera itself usually does not have the ability to monitor environmental parameters.
Solution to the problem:
The solution to the problem formulated above is a camera placed on a remotely controlled or autonomous vehicle. Such a vehicle can reach every corner of a protected area and give us a real-time preview if everything is okay. It can also send measurement data of physical quantities (e.g. gases, temperatures) to the base station. Furthermore, the transmitted image is processed to detect moving objects with specific features in the selected protected zone. If such objects appear then the system will send an emergency notification to the owner or security office.
Why this project can have a visible impact on the world around us ?
Firstly, such a project can be made relatively quickly because it is built from ready-made and easily available electronic modules. A typical RC vehicle has been upgraded and used in this project to reduce the cost and time needed to make a prototype. Due to its modular design, this project can be easily modified and adapted for other applications, such as inspection of hazardous areas or used in search and rescue operations.
The first goal of this project was to build a measuring station for RC car and a vision system for objects detection and recognition. The following flowchart shows the connections between the modules of the project.
The individual electronic modules are connected via different interfaces i.e.: UART, SPI and analog and digital inputs and outputs.
This mini-measurement station allows you to measure the following physical quantities:
- temperature (DHT11)
- humidity (DHT11)
- LPG, Propane, Hydrogen and Methane (MQ-2)
- position coordinates (GPS NEO-8M)
The vehicle is also equipped with two cameras:
- wifi - Elephone ELE Explorer 4K
- fpv - RunCam OWL Plus
Data processing and analysis takes place on a desktop computer, what increases the vehicle's running time on a single charge. For more information on how to build measurement station, see this instruction.
James Gibbard
Florian Ellsäßer
Michael J. Thornton
Koen Hufkens