Survelliance Robot Using ZigBee (ZB2430)

[kvc_vvp]

Hello,

I am a student of final year electronics and communication engineering.

I have choosen to build a wireless surveillance robot which uses ZigBee module ZB2430 (USB) Transreceiver as my final year project.

What I need as a specification in my robo is:

It has a camera placed on it, which sends the live video feed to the PC from Zigbee module which is placed on it.

It is drived by the arrow keys of the laptop with some common features like lights turning on and off also from laptop.

One zigbee module is connected to the usb port of laptop.

Thus zigbee module is used for receiving video feed from robo car as well as for transmitting control signals from the laptop.

Project is to be completed in 2-3 months.

Now, what I need to know from you is the following information

1. Which type of camera to be used?
2. How to do programming of zigbee module?
3. How can build a GUI for robot controlling from PC & seeing video in PC?
Will it be easier with MATLAB or VB? (I don't know VB).
4. How to build a motherboard to be placed in robo car?


I didn't got much information from website of zigbee and maxstream except the datasheet of ZB2430 which is we are going to use.

I will post more queries and more information about the project if you need.

Thank you.

 

[dknguyen]

1. Zigbee modules are made to act as a wireless RS-232/UART. They were not made for, and are not fast enough for video. You need to use a separate wireless signal and module for your camera. THe zigbee will only be enough to send serial commands back and forth.

2. You basically treat it like programming sending messages to a UART on both ends. It acts like a wireless UART or RS-232 cable.

3. This is going to be really hard. To send commands you can just use a hyperterminal program to send commands with your Zigbee. You can use a scripting language like TCL/Tk or some other language like that to produce a GUI that lets you have a visual interface that sends hypterminal commands for you when you click buttons and scroll things with your mouse rather than typing them into hyperterminal yourself. For video feed...that's really hard- best to find some premade software that comes with your wireless camera or a separate TV screen or something to display TV feed on a PC monitor. Much easier and faster.

4. Use a microcontroller.

 

[kvc_vvp]

Thanks.

But I know that it is possible to use zigbee for both the purposes since it gives 2.4GHz bandwidth and I have seen that also.

I am using microcontroller. U can check out the datasheet for ZB2430 on net.

Do replying. Thank you very much.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

The Zigbee radio is on 2.4GHz but the Zigbee is much much slower closer to 130kbps (like a serial port).

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

But I know that it is possible to use zigbee for both the purposes since it gives 2.4GHz bandwidth and I have seen that also.

You're not reading the datasheet correctly - it uses the 2.4GHz band, it doesn't give 2.4GHz bandwidth. Maximum baud rate is listed as "Up to 115.2 Kbps"

 

[kvc_vvp]

You're not reading the datasheet correctly - it uses the 2.4GHz band, it doesn't give 2.4GHz bandwidth. Maximum baud rate is listed as "Up to 115.2 Kbps"

Yes you are write but please give me some guidance for preparing the project I am having less time.

Thank you.

 

[kvc_vvp]

I have attached the data sheet of zigbee module that I am using in my project.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Yes you are write but please give me some guidance for preparing the project I am having less time.

As way back in post two, not fast enough for video.

 

[fellstar]

I built a telepresence robot for my capstone project at Purdue.

It was designed and built in a few months, was my first robot, and as such there are various improvements I would have liked to have made in hindsight.

The robot was pretty basic, two wheeled motion, no programmed autonomous motion. The main purpose for the design was to allow for a wirelessly controlled vehicle with two way voice and video communication.

The parts used for design were:

Misc. Mechanical parts (the body was made from aluminum tubing) This was a mistake (building the whole thing myself), buy a robot base!

There was a laptop on the robot to facilitate two way video communication.

Arduino USB board (used for simple USB interface to the laptop due to design/build time constraints)

Two Ultrasonic Sensors for collision avoidance.

A Linksys router with DD-WRT firmware to allow the router to be used as a wireless access point.

Two 12VDC Motors with shaft encoders and a DC Motor Controller.

Two NETCameras for video / Audio Communication. One NETCamera was a PTZ camera to make it easier to see around the robot. (again due to design/build time constraints)

The robot could be connected to from anywhere with internet access, as long as it was in a wireless networks range. As it was designed with usage at a campus with lots of hot spots, this was perfect for the application. IE. You could have it in an office, and log into it from home and attend meetings etc! This of course was a secondary usage, as the professors wanted it to mess with students in the halls of the Purdue campus.

I wrote the software in several languages as my faculty consultants kept changing their minds on what language it should be written in. I wrote the software in C++ / VC# AND VB...

The software communicated via a TCP/IP connection in a server/client setup. The user would launch the client on their computer, hit the connect button which would then connect them to the server located on the robot's onboard laptop. The Server would then communicate via USB to the Microcontroller issuing commands and passing information back to the user regarding sensor states and motor speed.

The application logged into the netcam on the robot so that the user could see what was in the area of the robot. In addition, the user on the client end had complete control over the video / audio feed on the robot end. The user could launch / close this feed at any time, in case they wanted to remain unseen.

The user used the arrow keys or a controller I integrated into the application to control the robots motion.

The problems I have with my final design:

Using the internet has it's benefits and it's limitations. The bandwidth is great! The problem becomes range, as you generally have about 200 - 300 feet out from an access point, and this can be considerably less indoors. Unless you have multiple access points in a given area.

I originally wanted to use a microATX low power motherboard computer with a small solid state power supply and a Memory Card for a harddrive. Due to the problems with finding a screen easy enough to power within the budget of the project, I decided to use an old laptop which was donated.

I used two batteries for power on the robot, a 12VDC 7Ah Lead Acid Battery used for motor power which was really heavy and a NiCAD 5VDC 5Ah Battery for the microcontroller / Net Camera and Router power. The use of multiple power circuits was not a great idea, though functional, it doesn't allow for easy recharging. The original plan was to create a charging station, this didn't make it into the design before the end.

I really would have liked to integrate less expensive web cameras into my application, I however never found an inexpensive way of doing this easily.

I've thought about taking alot of the power consumption off the robot itself, getting rid of the two way video communication (eliminate the laptop), move the router off the robot. Communicate via the zigbee modules, but I guess that's not possible for a video feed, at least not a high quality one.

Thought I'd give you some points and gave you a story. Hopefully it'll help ya out a little bit.

I have two videos of the robot including one that shows an early stage of my control program as I'm moving it. Here's one of them.

Robot's new shoes. Video by Jared - MySpace Video

 

[NickK1066]

You could look at Surveyor Corporation's SRV One robot.

They switched from the Zigbee to a standard wireless module. The result is that they have 2.5Mbit bandwidth from each blackfin module UART. The wireless module has two 2.5Mbit channels which means that stereo vision is very easy and quick.

 

[vinodvisnu]

tell me about zigbee

 

[Pommie]

tell me about zigbee

All you ever wanted to know. clicky here.

Mike.