Design And Implementation Of A Microcontroller Based Radar System With Ubiquitous Computing

ABSTRACT

A large-scale of civil infrastructure systems is associated with great amounts of project resources and activities interoperated with various participants and organizations. Well-defined methodology for information acquisition and communication became more critical in the management of civil infrastructure than ever before. Rapidly emerging wireless sensor technology has been drawing a log of attention as a possible method to realize the ubiquitous computing environment in everyday life, and more advanced strategy for implementing ubiquitous interfaces between device and networks needs to be investigated in the application of civil infrastructure. This paper introduces the conceptual understanding and strategy to be deployed in the civil infrastructure systems. In addition, the prototype application for object tracking and monitoring system in environment to provide an insight for the industrial practices in sensor- and network-based ubiquitous computing.

 CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                        INTRODUCTION

Rapidly growing wireless sensor technology has been drawing a lot of attention as a possible method to realize the ubiquitous computing environment in everyday life. Under the ubiquitous environment, numerous sensors and communication devices can be utilized for connection throughout complicated networks, capable of monitoring and detecting the physical events. Industrial applications can benefit from the emergence of ubiquitous computing in building automation, environmental monitoring, and surveillance of civil infrastructure with improved efficiency and effectiveness. Particularly, a large-scale of civil infrastructure is associated with great amounts of project resources and activities interoperated with various participants and organizations. In consequence, diverse roles and functionalities among project events and information process need to be improved, and more advanced strategy for implementing ubiquitous interfaces between device and networks needs to be investigated in the application of civil infrastructure systems.

Ubiquitous computing is an emerging concept in computing, which integrates computation capabilities into the physical environment rather than being perceived as a visible object. Hundreds of sensor and communication devices are embedded into physical life space, and they detect and monitor the physical activities in the place of human’s eyes and ears. The sensor networks are located  to everywhere to perform an ad hoc arrangement that offers a higher degree of flexibility for settings and increased number of sensor nodes. However, the requirements and specifications of sensor network infrastructure for ubiquitous computing differ from various applications: from home automation to the surveillance of large-scale civil infrastructure systems. In addition, feasible methodologies and frameworks focused on the civil engineering industry – combined with advanced information technology – have not yet taken a concrete shape due to the lack of cooperation among different participants, lack of information sharing, and inefficient use of emerging technologies.

As one of the global networking specification for wireless connectivity in the implementation of ubiquitous computing environment. The ZigBee Alliance released its specification to the public in June 2005, and they have focused on providing a technology to take advantage of short-range wireless protocol, flexible mesh networking, strong security tools, well-defined application frameworks, and a complete interoperability. It is believed that the evolving information technology, together with the ZigBee standard, is able to envision the new paradigm of civil engineering applications focusing on home control, building automation and industrial control and monitoring.

In this paper, technological details of the networking protocol will be discussed. Network topology and beaconing scheme to formulate the ubiquitous computing environment will be investigated for the anticipated framework of redesign and reconfiguration of current legacy systems for the deployment of emerging sensor network technologies. Finally, prototype application deployed for object tracking and a monitoring system on a construction job site within the network is illustrated to present the insight for the industrial practices in sensor-based ubiquitous computing.

1.1                                         BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

The term “Ubiquitous Computing” [23] was coined by Mark Weiser in 1991 as he envisaged a world where computers would „weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it‟ [23 p.1]. Weiser defined ubiquitous computing as „the method of enhancing computer use by making many computers available throughout the physical environment making them effectively invisible‟ [24 p.1]. Weiser‟s vision propelled a paradigm shift in the relationship between computing and society [22] with enabling technologies for its application embedded everywhere (in objects, people, and places) [9]. areas of application. According to Genevieve and Dourish, “Ubiquitous Computing technologies prove also to be Ubiquitous Computing  provide possibilities of a wide range of sites of social engagements, generational conflict, domestic regulation, religious practices, state surveillance, civic protest, romantic encounters, office politics, artistic expression, and more‟ [3 p.141]. But I believe that the above list of areas can be categorized into two areas; all the areas listed except surveillance can be categorized as social. Hence, I would suggest we have surveillance and social applications of Ubiquitous Computing.

Anne Uteck [22] suggest that the idea of Ubiquitous Computing as a tool for surveillance is intriguing because there are already in existence technologies that extends the ability to locate and track people and things in the real world any where, anytime, accurately, continuously, and in real time . Despite this view, I believe that the advancement in technologies that aid mankind to achieve a specific goal cannot grind to a halt as a result of the existence of mundane technologies meant for that same purpose; new technologies tend to expose the limitations of old ones.

This paper does not focus on „the world of Sal‟ [9] as contained in Mark Weiser‟s paper – “The Computer for the 21^st Century,” where everything works according to Sal‟s wish, I will be focusing on a real world applicability of Ubiquitous Computing – surveillance, and possibilities for the convergence of existing surveillance technologies to achieve this.

An insight into the current usage of existing surveillance technologies is given below, followed by their limitations, and a review of how the integration of these surveillance technologies can be intertwined with ubiquitous computing surveillance potentials and operational challenges of Ubiquitous Computing as a tool for boundless surveillance.

1.2                                             OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

The objective of ubiquitous computing is to make devices “smart,” thus creating a sensor network capable of collecting, processing and sending data, and, ultimately, communicating as a means to adapt to the data’s context and activity; in essence, a network that can understand its surroundings and improve the human experience and quality of life.

1.3                                         SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT

ubiquitous computing, is the growing trend of embedding computational capability (generally in the form of microprocessors) into everyday objects to make them effectively communicate and perform useful tasks in a way that minimizes the end user’s need to interact with computers as computers. Pervasive computing devices are network-connected and constantly available.

Unlike desktop computing, ubiquitous computing can occur with any device, at any time, in any place and in any data format across any network, and can hand tasks from one computer to another as, for example, a user moves from his car to his office. Thus, ubiquitous computing devices have evolved to include not only laptops, notebooks and smartphones, but also tablets, wearable devices, fleet management and pipeline components, lighting systems, appliances and sensors, and so on.

1.4                                                 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

Mainstream and advanced surveillance technologies are limited in terms of their reach in monitoring and tracking people and objects despite the dearth of spatial boundaries. This limitation could possibly be eliminated with the advent of ubiquitous computing. The application of ubiquitous computing in surveillance is such as could take advantage of spatial boundlessness to effect a real time boundless surveillance.

 1.5                                          APPLICATION OF THE PROJECT

ubiquitous computing applications covers:

1. energy,
2. military,

• safety,

1. consumer,
2. healthcare,
3. production

• and logistics.