Determine distance and direction between an arduino and a tag

Using Arduino Sensors
1

Hey guys I was looking into a project I wanted to start and I was wondering if there are any sensors that could send me the general direction and distance from an object to an arduino. I was wanting to keep these 2 devices within 30 meters of each other and have an arduino display the object I'm looking for on a screen as a dot in a certain direction and distance from the arduino.

I've attached a rough mock up of the screen id make with the center point being the arduino and the dot being the device I'm looking for.

Thanks for any advice guys!

object tracking mockup.png
object tracking mockup.png1269×648 9.48 KB

2

For outdoors use the obvious sensor to use is GPS ands magnetometer, but accuracy is not that predictable, it may be +/- 3M, or it could be more than +/- 10M for instance and you have no way of knowing for sure.

This question does get asked very often and if there was a ready solution, which no doubt has to be simple, low cost and work indoors, it would be easy to find via a Google search.

The location where this needs to happen would have an impact on any solution, but you have not provided any details of where the locating is to take place.

3

Hey srnet thanks for responding.

The location for this would ideally be indoors but im assuming if i could make it work indoors outdoors wouldnt change anything.

As for accuracy i would be fine with being accurate to within a few meters.

The use case i was imagining is similar to an easter egg hunt with a locator that would get people within a few meters of what they are looking for.

Thanks for any more help i get looking into this!

4

GPS wont work indoors, but this will, but not tried it myself;

Pozyx

5

Tayd3ll:
As for accuracy i would be fine with being accurate to within a few meters.

You may have a view what 'a few meters' may mean, no-one else can be sure.

6

The use case i was imagining is similar to an easter egg hunt with a locator that would get people within a few meters

Useful search engine phrase "radio fox hunt".

7

Objects spaced 30m indoors that's got to be either a really large hall, or multiple rooms.

A way of measuring distance between two things is a combination of sound and radio pulse, measure the time of flight difference. Three ultrasound receivers spaced sufficiently (some 20 cm or more) should be able to give you the direction the sound pulse came from using the same principles.

The major problem here is that 30m is a really long distance for sound, and it can only work if there are no obstacles in the way.