Simulation And Implementation Of An Android Integrated Wireless Sensor Network System For Monitoring A Poultry Condition

ABSTRACT

The flexibility of new age wireless networks and the variety of sensors to measure a high number of variables, lead to new scenarios where anything can be monitored by small electronic devices, thereby implementing Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). Thanks to ZigBee, RFID or WiFi networks the precise location of humans or animals as well as some biological parameters can be known in real-time. However, since wireless sensors must be attached to biological tissues and they are highly dispersive, propagation of electromagnetic waves must be studied to deploy an efficient and well-working network. The main goal of this work is to study the influence of wireless channel limitations in the operation of a specific pet monitoring system, validated at physical channel as well as at functional level. In this sense, radio wave propagation produced by ZigBee devices operating at the ISM 2.4 GHz band is studied through an in-house developed 3D Ray Launching simulation tool, in order to analyze coverage/capacity relations for the optimal system selection as well as deployment strategy in terms of number of transceivers and location. Furthermore, a simplified dog model is developed for simulation code, considering not only its morphology but also its dielectric properties. Relevant wireless channel information such as power distribution, power delay profile and delay spread graphs are obtained providing an extensive wireless channel analysis. A functional dog monitoring system is presented, operating over the implemented ZigBee network and providing real time information to Android based devices. The proposed system focused on an android based wireless sensor network system monitoring a poultry environment.

ABBREVIATIONS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWELDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

• INTRODUCTION
• BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
• PROBLEM STATEMENT
• AIM OF THE STUDY
• PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
• LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
• SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
• PROJECT ORGANISATION

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

• OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
• ENVIRONMENT MONITORING SYSTEM
• ENVIRONMENT MONITORING SYSTEM APPLICATIONS
• OVERVIEW OF A WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK
• WSN NETWORK TOPOLOGIES
• TYPES OF WSNS (WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS)

CHAPTER THREE

• SIMULATION SCENARIO AND SIMPLIFIED FOWL MODEL

CHAPTER FOUR

• EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND IMPLEMENTED APPLICATION

CHAPTER FIVE

• CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
• REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                           INTRODUCTION

1.1                              BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Nowadays, monitoring of environment such like poultry can be easily carried out thanks to a wide variety of transceivers working together with increasingly compact devices and the use of different wireless communication standards. These systems fall within the scope of the Internet of Things (IoT), where devices are connected to the internet and the information is sent without the interaction of human beings. Thus, a high variety of variables can be monitored in real time and in the case of living beings, their physiological parameters or location can be accurately measured.

In this sense, a high variety of person-oriented systems are being developed within the framework of e-health systems and therefore, most of these technologies are being extrapolated to farming and pet wellness applications. Monitoring of physiological parameters as ECG [1], pulse [2] or blood pressure [3], for patients, elderly people or athletes as well as their location [4], are the most common data obtained in this kind of systems.

In relation to animal tracking and wellness, numerous identification systems have been developed over the years, specially for wildlife tracking and analysis, attaching radio transmitters to animals to monitor their location, behavior or migratory habits [5,6]. For poultry animals or pets some identification systems have also been developed and deployed, although these systems are not based on wireless networks and therefore owners must extract the information indirectly.

Nevertheless, novel farm animal monitoring systems based on WSN have been studied in recent years, in [7] a WSN is proposed for animal monitoring, in [8] the location of cows is monitored thanks to GPS location system and GSM telephony and in [9] a ZigBee-Based health monitoring system is presented, which takes data through rumination, heart rate, temperature and humidity sensors. Going one step further, in [10] a Livestock Monitoring System (LMS) is presented, for an integrated system for poultry monitoring of their environment, production, growth and health, the production efficiency in farming is improved.

When WSN are developed for poultry applications, the main purpose of these systems is animal wellness and security. Thus, veterinary systems where photophethysmogram (PPG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) information are recorded wirelessly are presented in [11,12], a remote feeding system is developed in [13] and a system capable to recognize poultry animal behavior via an accelerometer attached to the canine.  The proposed system therefore provides a poultry animal location and monitoring system, which provides an interactive context in order to retrieve parameters such as animal location, biomedical signal retrieval or behavior patterns, among others.

1.2                                    PROBLEM STATEMENT

In the last decade, the only means of monitoring an environment is by employing or appointing someone to stay or stand in the appointed environment which involves labour, cost, waste time and some occasion the appointed person may sleep off as a result of health challenge or tiredness. To overcome this challenge, a wireless means of monitoring an environment was invented which only need a sensor to be monitored in such place where the monitoring is needed. This is achieved using an android integrated wireless sensor network.

1.3                                      AIM OF THE PROJECT

The aim of this work is to implement an android based wireless means of monitoring a poultry environment.

1.4                                 PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT

The purpose of this work is to ensure efficiency and to reduce labour and reduce cost and time spent in environmental monitoring. When WSN are developed for poultry applications, the main purpose of these systems is animal wellness and security.

1.5                           SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT

This study is on Agricultural monitoring which focuses mostly on farming area. Some studies define animal monitoring as animal tracking [10] but the concept is the same. There are methodologies to be implemented in order to get through each phases well- defined for the entire life cycle [11]. The interaction between animals and human has been developed and recognize for decades. The contribution of animals love, true-hearted and continuity live can provide positive impact on human physical and mental [12][13].

However, nowadays many animals lack proper treatment and there are also cases where these animals’ diseases are not detected. Therefore, this device is to monitor animal behaviour and produce a report regarding their health or behaviour in real-time system.

1.6                            LIMITATIONS OF THE PROJECT

1. Possess very little storage capacity – a few hundred kilobytes
2. Possess modest processing power-8MHz
3. Works in short communication range – consumes a lot of power
4. Requires minimal energy – constrains protocols
5. Have batteries with a finite life time
6. Passive devices provide little energy

1.7                                                         SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

Livestock (or poultry) Monitoring System (LMS) is presented, for an integrated system for poultry monitoring of their environment, production, growth and health, the production efficiency in farming is improved.

1.8                                                         PROJECT ORGANISATION

The work is organized as follows: chapter one discuses the introductory part of the work,   chapter two presents the literature review of the study,  chapter three describes the methods applied,  chapter four discusses the results of the work, chapter five summarizes the research outcomes and the recommendations.