Introduction:
Data collection is an essential task for many applications, such as environmental monitoring, structural inspection, disaster response, and wildlife conservation. However, some data sources may be located in hard-to-reach places, such as high altitudes, dense forests, or hazardous environments. Traditional data collection methods, such as ground-based sensors, aerial drones, or satellites, may not be able to access these places efficiently, reliably, or safely.To address this challenge, researchers at Imperial College London have developed a novel aerial system that launches small, lightweight sensor pods, called nano sense darts, to collect data in inaccessible locations. The nano sense darts are equipped with an Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense board, which allows for a variety of measurements without extra hardware. The nano sense darts can attach to different surfaces, such as wood, metal, or concrete, using various methods, such as magnets, chemical bonding, or dart-like penetration. The nano sense darts can communicate wirelessly with the aerial launcher or a base station, and transmit the collected data in real-time or store it for later retrieval.
In this article, we will explore the design, implementation, and evaluation of the nano sense dart system, and discuss its potential applications and future directions.
In this article, we will explore the design, implementation, and evaluation of the nano sense dart system, and discuss its potential applications and future directions.
Table of Contents:
1. Design
2. Nano Sense Dart
3. Aerial Launcher
4. Base Station
5. Implementation
6. Applications
7. Future Directions
8. Conclusion
Design
The nano sense dart system consists of three main components: the nano sense dart, the aerial launcher, and the base station.Nano Sense Dart
The nano sense dart is a small, lightweight sensor pod that can measure various physical parameters, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, acceleration, orientation, and light intensity. The nano sense dart is based on the Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense board, which has a 9-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU), a humidity and temperature sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a microphone, a gesture, proximity and color sensor, and a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module. The nano sense dart also has a battery, a micro SD card, and an attachment mechanism. The nano sense dart has a diameter of 20 mm, a length of 50 mm, and a weight of 15 g.The nano sense dart can operate in two modes: active and passive. In the active mode, the nano sense dart continuously measures and transmits the data to the aerial launcher or the base station via BLE. In the passive mode, the nano sense dart only measures and stores the data on the micro SD card, and wakes up periodically to check for a retrieval signal from the aerial launcher or the base station. The passive mode can save battery power and extend the lifetime of the nano sense dart.
The attachment mechanism of the nano sense dart depends on the target surface and the desired duration of the data collection. For example, for short-term data collection on metallic surfaces, the nano sense dart can use magnets to attach to the surface. For long-term data collection on wooden surfaces, the nano sense dart can use a dart-like tip to penetrate and anchor to the surface. For medium-term data collection on concrete surfaces, the nano sense dart can use a chemical bonding agent to adhere to the surface. A shape-memory alloy (SMA) trigger can activate the attachment mechanism, which can be controlled by the Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense board.
Aerial Launcher
The aerial launcher is a quadrotor drone that can carry and launch multiple nano sense darts to the target locations. The aerial launcher has a spring-loaded mechanism that can eject the nano sense darts at a speed of up to 10 m/s and a range of up to 4 m. The aerial launcher can also communicate with the nano sense darts via BLE, and receive the data or send the retrieval signal. The aerial launcher can also communicate with the base station via Wi-Fi, and relay the data or receive the commands.The aerial launcher can autonomously navigate to the target locations using a global positioning system (GPS) or a vision-based system. The aerial launcher can also detect and avoid obstacles using a lidar or a camera. The aerial launcher can launch the nano sense darts at the optimal angle and distance to ensure a successful attachment. The aerial launcher can also monitor the status and location of the nano sense darts using the BLE signal strength and the IMU data.
Base Station
The base station is a laptop or a smartphone that can control and coordinate the aerial launcher and the nano sense darts. The base station can send the target locations and the launch parameters to the aerial launcher via Wi-Fi. The base station can also receive the data from the nano sense darts via the aerial launcher or directly via BLE. The base station can also send the retrieval signal to the nano sense darts via the aerial launcher or directly via BLE. The base station can also visualize and analyze the data from the nano sense darts using a graphical user interface (GUI).Implementation
The researchers at Imperial College London have implemented a prototype of the nano sense dart system using off-the-shelf components and custom-made parts. The Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense board was used as the core of the nano sense dart, and the Arduino IDE was used to program it. The battery was a 3.7 V 110 mAh lithium polymer (LiPo) battery, and the micro SD card was a 16 GB micro SD card. The attachment mechanism was a 3D-printed dart tip with a SMA wire, which was heated by a 5 V pulse to release the dart. The spring-loaded mechanism of the aerial launcher was a 3D-printed tube with a SMA wire, which was heated by a 5 V pulse to eject the dart. The quadrotor drone was a DJI Mavic Pro, and the DJI SDK was used to control it. The base station was a laptop running Windows 10, and the GUI was developed using MATLAB.The researchers tested the performance of the nano sense dart system in indoor and outdoor environments and evaluated the accuracy, reliability, and efficiency of the data collection. The results showed that the nano sense dart system could successfully launch and attach the nano sense darts to various surfaces, such as wood, metal, and concrete, and collect and transmit the data in real-time or store it for later retrieval. The nano sense dart system could also retrieve the nano sense darts by sending a retrieval signal, which activated the SMA trigger and detached the dart from the surface. The nano sense dart system could achieve a launch accuracy of 90%, a data transmission rate of 95%, and a data storage capacity of 10 hours.
Applications
The nano sense dart system has many potential applications in different domains, such as:Environmental monitoring: The nano sense dart system can be used to monitor the environmental parameters, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, and light intensity, in remote or inaccessible areas, such as mountains, forests, or oceans. The nano sense dart system can provide high-resolution and high-frequency data, which can be useful for studying climate change, biodiversity, or natural disasters.
Structural inspection: The nano sense dart system can be used to inspect the structural integrity, such as cracks, corrosion, or deformation, of buildings, bridges, or pipelines. The nano sense dart system can access hard-to-reach places, such as high altitudes, narrow gaps, or underground spaces, and provide real-time or offline data, which can be useful for detecting faults, damages, or risks.
Disaster response: The nano sense dart system can assist the disaster response, such as search and rescue, fire fighting, or nuclear accident, in hazardous or hostile environments, such as collapsed buildings, burning forests, or radioactive zones. The nano sense dart system can collect and transmit vital information, such as the survivors, the fire, or the radiation, in real-time or store it for later retrieval, which can be useful for saving lives, resources, or the environment.
Future Directions
The nano sense dart system is a novel and promising aerial system for data collection, but it also has some limitations and challenges, such as:Power consumption: The nano sense dart system has a limited battery life, which limits the duration and frequency of the data collection. The nano sense dart system could be improved by using more efficient batteries, such as fuel cells or solar cells, or by using energy harvesting techniques, such as piezoelectric or thermoelectric, to extend the lifetime of the nano sense darts.
Data quality: The nano sense dart system may suffer from data loss, corruption, or interference, due to wireless communication, the storage device, or environmental factors. The nano sense dart system could be improved by using more reliable communication protocols, such as LoRa or ZigBee, or by using data compression, encryption, or error correction techniques, to enhance the quality of the data.
Data analysis: The nano sense dart system may generate a large amount of data, which may be difficult to process, visualize, or interpret, due to the complexity, diversity, or uncertainty of the data. The nano sense dart system could be improved by using more advanced data analysis techniques, such as machine learning, deep learning, or edge computing, to extract useful information, patterns, or insights from the data.
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