Re: RFID tracking and gumstix

It all depends on the resolution you want to get from your
application.  If you just want to know if the ape is inside or outside
in order to turn on the correct webcam then I suggest a small number
of RFID readers mounted in the areas in question (mounting a reader at
each end of a corridor, for example, would allow you to infer
direction and location).  Of course, you wouldn't need anything but a
passive RFID tag on the ape in this case (which might be nice for the
ape since you won't need to plug it into a battery charger every
evening!)  You could use gumstix/etherstix/RFID reader combos for the
readers, which would be quite simple and very cheap.

However, if you want to map the exact locations of your apes then
things are going to get complex.  I don't know what the range of RFID
is, but I imagine it is not huge.  Placing a reader on each ape and
watching as it passes RFID tags round it's habitat sounds like hard
work to me because...

1) You'd need a grid of RFID tags to do anything useful
2) Battery charging
3) Communications between ape and ground station - bluetooth?  wifi??

I think the latter of my two scenarios sounds like a lot of very hard
work for a complex and fault-prone system.  The former, however, would
give you some rock solid functionality for very little cost and would
also allow you to mount only passive devices on your apes.

Anyway, whatever you do, keep us informed.  Sounds like a great
project and I for one would love to see what you come up with!

Cheers,

Dan

On 12/07/05, Aleksandar Matijaca <amatijaca@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> Hi Jon,
>  
>  in your design, you have to determine, who is movable -- the RFID or the
> RFID reader?
>  If the RFID reader is movable, it is a much costlier project, since each
> moving target
>  would have to have a gumstix and a RFID reader.  I think it would be much
> simpler,
>  to put the RFID tag on the collar, but make it a powered RFID tag, to allow
> greater range
>  of detection.  This way, you don't even need a gumstix at all, but can
> choose a simple
>  off-the-shelf RFID solution.
>  
>  Regards, Alex.
> 
>  
>  
> On 7/12/05, Jon Thompson <jon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > We are planning on a semipermanent collar.  Call one for freudian typo.
> > 
> > The apes are our friends, colleagues, and some of the researchers
> > even consider them our step children.  We would never do anything
> > that would put the apes in harm's way or cause them discomfort. 
> > 
> > As for the mailing list, I was referred to it by an individual at
> > gumstix who felt that this list would be a good place to start.  It
> > may be that I am looking at the wrong technology.  I was thinking
> > that gumstix would be a good low-cost solution for planting very 
> > capable receivers around the campus.  What they are attached to in
> > terms of actual sensing devices could be debated upon, and I am open
> > to suggestion if anyone has one.
> > 
> > I will look at the RFID list for any specifics on RFID.  In the 
> > meantime, I do have a question...
> > 
> > 
> > Is there anyone working on position aware motes using gumstix?  If
> > so, would your solution be applicable to tracking apes throughout a
> > facility?
> > --
> > Jon Thompson 
> > Jon Thompson Consulting
> > jon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > (515) 360-0250
> > 
> > On Jul 11, 2005, at 9:45 PM, Doug Sutherland wrote:
> > 
> > > Jon,
> > >
> > > Is there a question here? Passive RFID requires very close contact 
> > > to work
> > > (like those touch to pay keychain things), and active RFID requires
> > > power
> > > on the tag to work (like on automobiles for toll pass). Not sure
> > > how viable
> > > this is for your application, but I suggest posting the RFID 
> > > questions on
> > > an RFID diacussion forum.
> > >
> > > I have a small RFID reader module here, it can connect to any host
> > > with a
> > > simple serial interface. Getting the antenna part right is tricky 
> > > though.
> > > As for gumstix, consider it a general purpose processor, you could
> > > use the
> > > gumstix/etherstix/breakout-gs -> UART to RFID reader module, a hub,
> > > and a
> > > PC for data collection. The RFID interface could also be done with 
> > > lower
> > > end MCU with ethernet or rs485 multidrop serial.
> > >
> > >  -- Doug
> > >
> > > PS. You want to put RFID tags IN the primates? I don't like that
> > > idea :(
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Jon Thompson wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >> Hello,
> > >>
> > >> I emailed gumstix this, and someone replied, telling me that I
> > >> should  ask around this list.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>> We're looking for a tracking system that we can embed in rooms, 
> > >>> and  on the grounds (200 acres) to track our apes (both primate
> > >>> and  humans) as they move about the facility. When I heard about
> > >>> the  size of your devices, it occurred to me that it would be 
> > >>> very cool  to have these embedded in the ground with some sort of
> > >>> RFID sensor,  with an RFID chip inserted in the apes, or in a
> > >>> card of some sort  for the humans.
> > >>> 
> > >>> We could then have other devices with gumstix that could also
> > >>> interact with our gumnet, robots such as cars, video camera
> > >>> devices  that could stream to a server, and of course the 
> > >>> keyboards that  Kanzi and Panbanisha (two of our apes) use so well.
> > >>>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > >
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> > >
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> > >
> > >
> > >
> > 
> > 
> > 
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> 
>  


-- 
Dan Taylor

Software Development Engineer, JTL Systems Ltd
PhD Student, Reading University, UK

http://www.logicalgenetics.com


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