BlueTrak

1
BlueTrak

• Clement Song
• Shan Wu

University of Virginia
2
Animal Tracking

• Animal tracking is useful in many areas
• Protecting endangered species
• Migration patterns
• Habitats
• Lifestyle

3
Uses of Animal Tracking

• Habitat analysis of animals
• Study of parenting behavior during rearing of
  young auklets
• the protection of elephants from ivory poachers
  in Kenya
• Tracking animal health
• condition (Beef industry)

4
Current Methods for Animal Tracking

• Remote devices attached to animals to collect
  data
• Methods for remote data retrieval
• Satellite
• Data transferred directly from animal to
  satellite
• Problems Expensive, obstruction of signal
• VHF (Very High Frequency) radio transmission
• Problems physical following of devices, limited
  range/frequency

5
Problems with Current System

• Data only on individual animals

• Knowledge of animal interaction can better our
  understanding of animal communities

• Restriction on data type

• Availability of sounds, images, potentially
  videos will provide even more information to
  scientists on living environments, interaction
  characteristics, habits

• Inconvenient data collection

• For VHF tags, animals must be physically
  followed to collect data

• Chances of device retrieval low

• 5000 (price for basic GPS collar with
  satellite connection) down the drain if tagged
  animal is not recovered

• Loss of data

• Satellite signals are attenuated under dense
  canopies and at low altitudes

• Expensive!!!

6
The Ideal Tracking system

• an automated system to gather detailed data on
  interactions with resources, competitors, and
  predators.
• Interaction data would be needed for modeling
  vertebrate food chains and webs with a view to
  predictive conservation
• - Robert E. Kenward, expert in telemetry

7
What Is BlueTrak?

• The BlueTrak system uses Bluetooth wireless
  communication technology to collect information,
  relay information, and deliver information.

8
What is Bluetooth?

• Wireless communication technology
• PAN (Personal Area Network)
• Major advantage Ad-hoc networking

9
System at a Glance

• Physical Components
• Bluetooth enable mobile device
• Bluetooth enabled Access Points (stationary)

• Information Relay
• Mobile devices within range with each other
  exchange stored information
• Mobile devices within range of access point
  transfer stored information, including those of
  other devices

• Recording Interactions
• - The event that two devices are within range is
  recorded

10
Animal Tracking System Overview
11
Design Innovations

• Autonomous system
• Information collected by mobile devices
  themselves via information relay
• Minimizes human-intervention
• Ability to directly study interactions
  (application to animal tracking)
• Professional patent search returned nothing
  identical

12
Animal Tracking Market Potential

• 9000 satellite devices active in March 2002
• 3000 active for animal tracking
• Numerous radio devices used during same period
• Expert scientist opinions
• Autonomic system would be an excellent bonus
• Directly collecting animal interaction data would
  be invaluable to research

13
Animal Tracking Development Costs
Mobile device
Access Point
Component Quantity cost
Micro-controler 1 20
Bluetooth chip 1 5
GPS chip 1 10
Collar 1 10
Storage 1 10
Battery 1 3
Screws, bolts, nails --- 2
Miscellaneous Electronic supplies --- 5
Total Cost 65
Component Quantity cost
Micro-controler 1 20
Bluetooth chip 1 5
Storage 1 20
Sheet Metal Casing 1 5
Bolts/Wires --- 5
Miscellaneous Electronic supplies --- 5
Power supply 1 5
Total Cost 65
14
Market Analysis Retail Price

• BlueTrak system
• 1 Access point - 65 development cost
• 7 mobile devices - 455 development cost
• Total - 520 development cost
• Retail Price - 520 x 4 2080
• Compare to current systems
• 30 BlueTrak systems (210 mobile devices, 30
  access points) is 62,400
• 210 current satellite devices would cost
  1,050,000
• BlueTrak costs 1/18 current price

15
Application for Nursing Homes

• Efficient way of monitoring physical conditions
  of elderly residents in nursing homes and
  equivalent communities.
• Vital data on the elderly in these communities
  need to be recorded regularly

16
Aiding the Elderly Market Potential

• 17,000 nursing homes in the United States
• 1.5 million residents
• 6.6 million aged 65 or older need aid in at least
  one daily activity
• 65 million Americans over the age of 65
• Inexpensive and reliable way for family members
  to keep track of loved ones conditions
• Extensive market growth in next 30 years aging
  of the Baby Boom Generation

17
Why BlueTrak? Competitive Advantages

• Animal Tracking
• interactions logged
• Automatic system utilizes information relay
• Aiding the Elderly
• Low-profile, unobtrusive
• Information relay reduce expenses and hassle
  of multiple fixed base stations - Brent Mathews,
  Darden GSBA student
• Low power consumption
• Inexpensive solution

18
E-Team Members

• Faculty advisor in Biomedical Engineering
• Tremendous help for biomedical applications of
  BlueTrak
• 4 undergraduate Computer Engineers
• 2 have extensive background in programming
• 2 extremely familiar with patent pursuit and
  business development
• External mentors
• Engineering faculty, MBA student

19
Timeline

• Phase I (done)
• Software system prototype, Preliminary patent
  search
• Applied for NCIIA grant
• Phase II (done)
• Provisional patent application
• (Granted September 2002)
• Future
• Uncertain future for Bluetooth
• Unexpected costs of integration

20
Acknowledgements

• Those who have provided us support and technical
  advice
• Dr. Mircea R. Stan, UVA Electrical Engineering
• Dr. Ronald D. Williams, UVA Electrical
  Engineering
• Mr. Harry C. Powell, UVA Electrical Engineering
• Dr. Stephen G. Wilson, UVA Electrical Engineering
• Dr. James H. Aylor, UVA Electrical Engineering
• Dr. Herman H. Shugart, UVA Environmental Sciences
• Dr. William F. Walker, UVA Biomedical Engineering
  
• TCC professors and TAs

21
Thank you for your time!!

• Questions?

22
Financial Projection

• Combined market
• 30,000,000 150,000,000 180,000,000
• First two years 3 5.4 Million/year
• Annual growth 5
• After 5 years, 7 Million/year

23
Licensing VS. Selling

• Licensing (sell ideas)
• Sit back to collect royalty while working on new
  ideas
• More realistic

24
Future of BlueTrak

• Microcontroller to integrate Bluetooth chip and
  collar control
• Customizable tracking device with varying
  accessories
• Sensors for sound, image
• Automatic collar-expansion to accommodate for
  growth
• Less conspicuous system
• Accessories for image, audio, even video

25
Problems with Current System

• Data only on individual animals

• Knowledge of animal interaction can better our
  understanding of animal communities

• Restriction on data type

• Availability of sounds, images, potentially
  videos will provide even more information to
  scientists on living environments, interaction
  characteristics, habits

• Inconvenient data collection

• For VHF tags, animals must be physically
  followed to collect data

• Chances of device retrieval low

• 5000 (price for basic GPS collar with
  satellite connection) down the drain if tagged
  animal is not recovered

• Loss of data

• Satellite signals are attenuated under dense
  canopies and at low altitudes

• Expensive!!!

26
Project Goals

• Eliminate the need to physically follow animals
  for data collection
• Automated collection of data
• Provide ability to log animal interactions.
• Increase lifespan of tracking device and the
  frequency of data logging while reducing power
  consumption.
• Provide customization
• Simplify device retrieval

27
The Ideal Tracking system

• capable of 10m location resolution
• an automated system to gather detailed data on
  interactions with resources, competitors, and
  predators.
• Interaction data would be needed for modeling
  vertebrate food chains and webs with a view to
  predictive conservation
• - Robert E. Kenward, expert in telemetry

28
Our Claims

• A system of logging animal interaction
• BlueTrak system using Bluetooth technology in a
  system of relayed information
• The apparatus of the mobile device
• The apparatus of the access point

29
Target Markets

• Primary
• Research Scientists
• Livestock Industry (Cattle Industry)
• Secondary
• Household pet owners
• Tertiary
• hunters, hunting parks
• Price/system 1/16 of current

30
Why Us??

• Innovative product idea using cutting-edge
  technology
• Beneficial to scientific communities that address
  environmental concerns
• Excellent market potential
• Dedicated development team with technical and
  entrepreneur experience

31
Funding Needs

• Prototyping
• Materials
• Tools (CAD, machinery)
• Detailed market research
• Determine product derivatives and uses
• Technical/business consulting
• Patent Application
• Business startup

32
Price Break Down
1 access point 7 mobile devices (piconet)

• Other electronics 160
• 7 Collars 70
• 7 GPS chips 70

• 8 micro-controllers 160
• 8 Bluetooth chips 40
• Storage 100

Total (manufacturing) 600 Market Price
2400 Current implementation(210 devices)
1,050,000 30 BlueTrak systems (210 devices with
30 access points) 72,000 (1/15 of current)
33
Price Breakdown (Conti.)

• Current implementation(210 devices)
• 1,050,000
• 3,500 BlueTrak devices at 300 each

34
Price Break Down (conti.)

• Optional Satellite system on access point, 3000
  each, total
• 90,000 72,000 162,600
• (1/6 of current)
• Accessories (micro-phone, camera, sensors), 100
  each

35
Market Competition

• eMerge Interactive, Inc
• Animal tracking, data management, and supply
  procurement services to the U.S. beef production
  industry.
• For the nine months ended 9/30/01, revenues rose
  89 to 898.6 million Yahoo Finance

36
How the System Works
Access Point
37
Current State

• Software specifications completed

• Hardware design proposed

• Patent search complete (12 similar patents)
• 6,315,719 -- Medical monitoring of animals
• 6,198,394 -- remote transceiver monitoring
  using GPS
• 6,347,095 -- Bluetooth proximity based
  networking
• 5,857,433 -- animal GPS tracking