Idea for a Project - Questions

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,978
Ok, I don't care anymore about the secrecy or I won't get anywhere!

The purpose was to equip and build a system around a drone that could detect fires and report their coordinates to some fire departement or make an automatic phone call or so!

Let's imagine I have a drone that has some lifetime given buy some battery and that is somehow programmed to watch a specific area. In that period of time, the drone must scan that area and search for heat sources aka fires and report the coordinates or make some kind of automatic call or set an alarm to alert humans of a possible fire! This was the basic idea. Then, for a long term, it would be to create a bigger network that could cover larger areas!
There are several ways to go about it. First would be to use a single 2-D array starting straight down (or possibly straight up) and then use a lens (or mirror) to map the 360° region between two reasonable angles of declination onto the imager. Another would be to use a linear around mounted vertically but tipped at an angle toward the ground and sweep it in a circle as the drone flies around. Another is to use a single IR phototransistor to act as a single-pixel camera and then have a mechanism sweep it up and down as well as around.

You don't need good coordinates, either. If the drone reports its present location (using GPS) and then reports a possible fire one a bearing that only has a 45° resolution and has no distance measurement of any kind, that is almost certainly good enough for someone to quickly check if there really is a forest fire our there -- after all, once you are given notice that a fire might exist within a region that might be even a couple of thousand square miles, it is a pretty trivial matter to go look and determine whether there really is one anywhere in that area.
 

hp1729

Joined Nov 23, 2015
2,304
Ok, I don't care anymore about the secrecy or I won't get anywhere!

The purpose was to equip and build a system around a drone that could detect fires and report their coordinates to some fire departement or make an automatic phone call or so!

Let's imagine I have a drone that has some lifetime given buy some battery and that is somehow programmed to watch a specific area. In that period of time, the drone must scan that area and search for heat sources aka fires and report the coordinates or make some kind of automatic call or set an alarm to alert humans of a possible fire! This was the basic idea. Then, for a long term, it would be to create a bigger network that could cover larger areas!
How big a drone are you talking about? Personal drone size? How long do you think they can stay in the air? Of course you can spend four million and get one that fulfills your needs.
 

Thread Starter

PsySc0rpi0n

Joined Mar 4, 2014
1,755
There are several ways to go about it. First would be to use a single 2-D array starting straight down (or possibly straight up) and then use a lens (or mirror) to map the 360° region between two reasonable angles of declination onto the imager.
Ok, for your answer I have a ton of questions! :)

What you mean by a "single 2-D array"??? What is this? Is it an electronic component?
Then about the lens you talk about, what lens is that?
And what is the imager?

The second option maybe is the clearest one to me. I think you're talking about a fixed frame that can hold a moving object like a camera and that can rotate in several directions, no? Maybe the 1st idea also has the same concept, no?

Something like this?
upload_2016-8-16_12-47-26.png

The 3rd idea, I have no clue what would it look like!

How big a drone are you talking about? Personal drone size? How long do you think they can stay in the air? Of course you can spend four million and get one that fulfills your needs.
Well, the size needs to meet some requirements that must hold with the project caracheteristics, such has, the drone must be big enough to hold the surveillance system and small enough to avoid big batteries and be able to fly as much time as possible! The idea was that the drone would take flights of lets say 30 minutes to cover a specific area, then get back to a small station to make a fast charge and repeat this process all day long!

I know that this implies one whole lot of new things like the stations, keep the drones from being stolen, address problem of how the drone batteries would be charged, etc, etc... But this is as I said... In short term is to think about the drone itself... Then in a long term, think about a more global network to cover wider areas!
 

Thread Starter

PsySc0rpi0n

Joined Mar 4, 2014
1,755
@WBahn can you help me to try to figure how can I do this? Like, if I stick to one of you ideas, what should components should I look for and so on...

I was given another idea by a friend from AAC that was to use a camera linked by radio to a central station or so. But I have no clue where to start.

I also would like to discuss the other ideas that where given by you!
 

Thread Starter

PsySc0rpi0n

Joined Mar 4, 2014
1,755
This project idea is not suitable for someone who has "no clue where to start", you need to find a simpler project that is within your capabilities.
That's why I'm asking for help. What I can or cannot do is somehow limited by the help I can get. And looks like you are not about to help, you're rather trying to dissuade me just because I don't know where to start...
 

blocco a spirale

Joined Jun 18, 2008
1,546
That's why I'm asking for help. What I can or cannot do is somehow limited by the help I can get. And looks like you are not about to help, you're rather trying to dissuade me just because I don't know where to start...
No, not knowing where to start is not a trivial problem. What you can or cannot do is limited by your knowledge, experience and practical skills. There's a big difference between helping someone and explaining in great detail from zero not only what the terminology means but also how to apply the technology.

For instance, you asked:

"What you mean by a "single 2-D array"??? What is this? Is it an electronic component?
Then about the lens you talk about, what lens is that?
And what is the imager?"


These questions demonstrate that there are some big gaps in your knowledge of even the basics and I suspect that the reason WBahn has not replied is because he knows, based on these questions, that there is little point taking this further.

You may think I'm being negative but that is not the case, I am being realistic and the best advice for you, if you want to be successful, is to choose a project of a type where you do, at least, know where to start.
 

Thread Starter

PsySc0rpi0n

Joined Mar 4, 2014
1,755
No, not knowing where to start is not a trivial problem. What you can or cannot do is limited by your knowledge, experience and practical skills. There's a big difference between helping someone and explaining in great detail from zero not only what the terminology means but also how to apply the technology.

For instance, you asked:

"What you mean by a "single 2-D array"??? What is this? Is it an electronic component?
Then about the lens you talk about, what lens is that?
And what is the imager?"


These questions demonstrate that there are some big gaps in your knowledge of even the basics and I suspect that the reason WBahn has not replied is because he knows, based on these questions, that there is little point taking this further.

You may think I'm being negative but that is not the case, I am being realistic and the best advice for you, if you want to be successful, is to choose a project of a type where you do, at least, know where to start.
I can't think like that or won't be able to accomplish any project because my knowledge is only the one I have from school. If I think like that, the only things I think I can do are simple circuits to light on leds, buzz sounds from small speakers and stuff like that, which is not acceptable for a graduation project.

About my questions that you refer, as I'm not English, I need to be 100% sure about the terms used. Some might be technical terms that I'm not familiar with. After @WBahn talk about 2-D arrays I tried to figure out what he was talking about and I have even draw something to try to understand if I was correct about the referred object, but I got no answer.
 

blocco a spirale

Joined Jun 18, 2008
1,546
There are an infinite number of projects of varying difficulty between simple LED circuits and your project idea. Everyone progresses by building on their existing knowledge i.e. level 1 to 2 to 3 etc. trying to go from 1 to 10 is unlikely to result in success and only demonstrates a lack of engineering judgement and self awareness which is unlikely to gain you any points.

As a proof of concept you could start thinking about implementing a small e.g. 4x4 array of IR sensors and a micro-controller to read their values and return the co-ordinates of the hottest point when the array is focused on a particular scene. Then, consider how this information could be transmitted to a remote location.

Alternatively, you could use a single sensor mounted on a servo-controlled head that then scans an area for hot spots and report the positions.

Do these suggestions sound too complex to you? If so, then maybe they are. Even if you forget about the electronics and the software for a moment; can you design the logic behind it? Can you design and build the hardware?
 
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Thread Starter

PsySc0rpi0n

Joined Mar 4, 2014
1,755
There are an infinite number of projects of varying difficulty between simple LED circuits and your project idea. Everyone progresses by building on their existing knowledge i.e. level 1 to 2 to 3 etc. trying to go from 1 to 10 is unlikely to result in success and only demonstrates a lack of engineering judgement and self awareness which is unlikely to gain you any points.

As a proof of concept you could start thinking about implementing a small e.g. 4x4 array of IR sensors and a micro-controller to read their values and return the co-ordinates of the hottest point when the array is focused on a particular scene. Then, consider how this information could be transmitted to a remote location.

Alternatively, you could use a single sensor mounted on a servo-controlled head that then scans an area for hot spots and report the positions.

Do these suggestions sound too complex to you? If so, then maybe they are. Even if you forget about the electronics and the software for a moment; can you design the logic behind it? Can you design and build the hardware?
I understand what you're saying about follow a gradient of difficulty on our projects... Although, what we learn in our classes is also far away from the level of difficulty of some suggestions that teachers already gave us.

Anyway, about your 2 ideas, I think they are not very complex. But those ideas are basically the same I want to do. To use an Arduino, for example, to link the data from the sensors to a remote location! The software, it's doable I think. Probably the electronics would be more complicated for me if I have no help at all!
 

ericgibbs

Joined Jan 29, 2010
18,766
hi Psy,
I would recommend that you expand your 'idea' into a written Draft Proposal.

Initially do not consider what is 'doable' or not, just set out what is the 'purpose' of the project.

The membership has a very wide range of technical experience, so hopefully you should get some positive feedback.

You must accept that at this time your technical knowledge is very limited, so you will have to do lots of study research.

Remember that in the past, lots of inventors/innovators idea's were initially ridiculed by their peers.
Today many of those inventions and idea's have become successful products.

E
 

Thread Starter

PsySc0rpi0n

Joined Mar 4, 2014
1,755
hi Psy,
I would recommend that you expand your 'idea' into a written Draft Proposal.

Initially do not consider what is 'doable' or not, just set out what is the 'purpose' of the project.

The membership has a very wide range of technical experience, so hopefully you should get some positive feedback.

You must accept that at this time your technical knowledge is very limited, so you will have to do lots of study research.

Remember that in the past, lots of inventors/innovators idea's were initially ridiculed by their peers.
Today many of those inventions and idea's have become successful products.

E
Hi @ericgibbs ... Thanks for replying!
I don't have a problem on admitting my knowledge limitations. Some members here knows me for almost 2 years. They know I'm a complete rookie!
I also don't have a problem on admitting that this project might be a little off of my horizons, but well, I must have some ambition and try it even if this leads to nowhere! I just need to prepare myself to embrace failure if it is the case! But I don't mind at all... At least I can say later that I tried!

I'm asking help in a forum from my country and they are kinda helping me with the components I might need! So far we are talking about a LWIR and all the stuff that comes with it! Let me see if we (in the forum I'm asking for help) go anywhere!
 
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