RF Tracking project?

Projects General Guidance
1

Hi folks. Do you think it's possible to build something like Satarii with Arduino?

It's a mount for your iPhone that will automatically face a small wireless marker that you can stick in your pocket.

Check out their video here: http://www.indiegogo.com/Mobile-Video-Accessory

Impressive tech. Here's how I think it works.

The "Marker" is an RF emitter -- it emits radio waves. The "base" has two receivers -- sort of like two ears, built in to it. Their software determines which one of the two receivers is closer to the "marker" and then turns itself accordingly to equalize the distance.

It seems like a simple enough project -- but I'm not sure how to get started with the RF emitter and receiver part.

Let me know what you guys think or if this is something completely obvious that's been done a million times. I couldn't find any arduino resources on this topic. This is also my first post to the new forum -- was browsing around the old one for a while.

Thanks!

  • Aerodyno
2
  1. Most likely ---> IR
  2. Could be ---> Ultrasound
  3. Unlikely ---> Radio.
    Arduino as a controller of servo would be good, just required interface with analog world sensors.
3

I too think that radio RF is unlikely, but it would nice to know what method they did use. However it's probably proprietary information for now until someone reverse engineers what they did.

Lefty

4

In the video they do point out that the marker is "pocketable" -- so I think IR is out of the question. Maybe it's ultrasonic, but that might also get affected by being in a pocket. That's why I think the marker is RF. Anyway this is a neat puzzle and wouldn't it be awesome if they've got an arduino inside their 'works like' prototype. :slight_smile:

5

But if anyone has any other insights, please share. I want to build one of these!

6

But if anyone has any other insights, please share. I want to build one of these!

Oooo..., you guys are way too easy. It appears to be an ir beacon/ir detector type of setup. If you watch the video again, all the action tracking in the first half is disclaimed as "their vision", aka their gizmo was not used to track the action, it is just what they want to make. In the video and in the web page they clearly state the emitter and tracker have to be able to "see" each other, aka, visible per the propertys of light emitters/detectors.

It's a mount for your iPhone that will automatically face a small wireless marker that you can stick in your pocket.

Nothing on the site or in the video suggest this is a true statement. The "pocketing" appears to be in reference to the small size and easy carrying of the units, and not to the operating capabilitys of the units (check the video and web page).

If you want to make something similar, searching the forum for "solar tracker" should get you in the ball park.

7

Good eye zoomkat. I reviewed the video. The "pocketable" reference was for the whole thing -- not just the marker! Wishful thinking on my part.

Their works-like prototype, in the video, seems to have some ultrasound sensors on it.

Ok I'll look in to the solar tracker stuff.

Thanks!