I'm currently working on a University project for my Final Year and currently have some proposed ideas for a social device which can be worn or attached to clothing.
My plan is to create a device which sends messages or other information using a sender/receiver which then stores the information, ready to be read later either through USB or simply viewing it on the device itself. It may even work in a similar way to another, similar project I have found on Instructables (see below). The user would simply wear this item of clothing in a specific environment (such as a nightclub - speaking hyperthetically) which would allow communication between people just by walking past another person with the same device. Think of this as a close-proximity, P2P-type device for communication.
(Since I can't post links at the moment, please go to Instructables.com and search for "Passion Sensing Scarf")
I have talked the project over with my peers and found that there are two main options to creating such a device, which are:
Use several Arduinos (one for each user) which send and receive information via RFID Readers/Writers (again, a set of each for each user) attached to the board. One problem with this is that it will be incredibly bulky and unlikely to survive being washed or put through the punishment that clothing often takes on a daily basis.
Use a central Arduino board which receives information from Arduino XBees which receive information from the central Arduino and are sent information back from it. One problem with this is when several devices come into contact with each other, the central Arduino will be unable to tell which message has come from and should go to another device. However, one plus point with this is that I've heard XBees (Series 2 only) will be able to send and receive information on their own and are incredibly small.
If you have any ideas on how this device could be produced or if you have any comments on the above, please let me know. I would greatly appreciate any feedback you may have.
Use a central Arduino board which receives information from Arduino XBees
Arduinos aren't XBees and XBees aren't Arduinos.
One problem with this is when several devices come into contact with each other, the central Arduino will be unable to tell which message has come from and should go to another device.
Perhaps you should spend more time reading about XBees. The receiver knows who sent the message. It may not care to share that information with you, but it knows.
Even if it didn't, you could preface each message an XBee sends with some unique ID.
However, one plus point with this is that I've heard XBees (Series 2 only) will be able to send and receive information on their own and are incredibly small.
Series 1 radios are small, too. They, too, can send/receive with no Arduino in sight.
The user would simply wear this item of clothing in a specific environment (such as a nightclub - speaking hyperthetically) which would allow communication between people just by walking past another person with the same device.
Forget RFID, then. RFID chips/readers that are more than near contact devices are spendy.
If two users are close enough for RFID to work, they probably don't need your device to communicate.
Use a central Arduino board which receives information from Arduino XBees
Arduinos aren't XBees and XBees aren't Arduinos.
Can Arduinos still communicate with XBee? The main thing is that I have a wireless connection between the device and the Arduino which will be used to collect and process the information from a central area. I.e. the device would send the messages through to the Arduino board wirelessly.
One problem with this is when several devices come into contact with each other, the central Arduino will be unable to tell which message has come from and should go to another device.
Perhaps you should spend more time reading about XBees. The receiver knows who sent the message. It may not care to share that information with you, but it knows.
Even if it didn't, you could preface each message an XBee sends with some unique ID.
Sure, okay. That sounds exactly what I need really. By saying it may not care to share the information, do you mean that it won't or simply can't because of security or lack of "sharing technology" of some sort?
However, one plus point with this is that I've heard XBees (Series 2 only) will be able to send and receive information on their own and are incredibly small.
Series 1 radios are small, too. They, too, can send/receive with no Arduino in sight.
Ah cool. I've heard that Series 2s are more reliable or something but not entirely sure how true that is. Does this mean that they will be able to connect to a computer or something or do you just mean you don't need an Arduino to process the information?
The user would simply wear this item of clothing in a specific environment (such as a nightclub - speaking hyperthetically) which would allow communication between people just by walking past another person with the same device.
Forget RFID, then. RFID chips/readers that are more than near contact devices are spendy.
If two users are close enough for RFID to work, they probably don't need your device to communicate.
Sure, this was my thinking as well after studying RFID further. Also like you say, most people wouldn't need to use such a device if they were so close already. The 'tag' would probably be used in such a way that people within a 10-15 metre radius would be able to communicate "through their clothes" as it were (i.e. they would be able to send messages to each other according to their clothing style).
one plus point with this is that I've heard XBees (Series 2 only) will be able to send and receive information on their own
Do you have a reference for that? I barely know anything about the XBees.
I just thought they were just advanced radios modules that handled complex communications (error checking, acks, mesh networking) and had to be used with with a controller.
By saying it may not care to share the information, do you mean that it won't or simply can't because of security or lack of "sharing technology" of some sort?
I'm saying I don't know whether there is a way to get at the information. I know that the packets that XBees exchange contain this information. But, I do not know if there is a way for you to get at it. Digi.com might.
I've heard that Series 2s are more reliable or something
We tend to think that any increasing value means faster/better/cheaper, etc. But, in this case, Series 1 and Series 2/2.5 mean nothing of the sort. The different series are used for different purposes. That's all.
I've been playing with RF12B radios lately, they have quite good range and cost $7 or so from moderndevice.
They both know and will tell you (the arduino) which radio sent the data. Plus CRC and ack checking.
Apologies for neglecting this thread - I've recently had a lot of work on and with Christmas and the New Year, it's been a very busy time! I've been looking into buying in my components for this project but still have some issues regarding suitable equipment.
As you may have read in my first post, my idea is to have a wearable device which can communicate with other similar devices, which can also been washed and used. The device will work in a similar way to a mobile phone's text messaging service but the aim is to make it much more accessible to more people.
