FAST: Fully Autonomous Sentry Turret

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FAST Fully Autonomous Sentry Turret

• ECE 4007 L01 DK6
• Dr. David Keezer
• Patrick Croom, Kevin Neas,
• Anthony Ogidi, Joleon Pettway

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FAST Overview

• Fully Autonomous Sentry Turret area denial gun
  turret with integral IFF capabilities
• Improve security, reduce unnecessary casualties,
  and reduce operational costs
• Intended for US Department of Defense, other
  armed federal organizations, and licensed private
  security companies
• 2500 component cost 200,000 prototype
  development

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Design Objectives

• Once activated, this system will operate without
  user interaction
• Uses visual monitoring to detect significant
  sources of movement
• Rapidly engages targets while avoiding designated
  friendly personnel
• Easy to use, portable, and low cost

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System Block Diagram
Digital Video (USB)
Webcam
Notebook Computer
USB
Azimuth Servo
Phidget Control Board
Voltage Data
Power Supply
DC Voltage
Altitude Servo
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Turret Configuration

• Stand Dimensions 2x2x2Feet

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Mechanical Turret

• Will consist of
• Phidget servo controller
• A pair of HiTec Servomotors
• Pan and Tilt servo mount
• Mounted laser pointer

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Motion Tracking Interface
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Motion Tracking Algorithm
Save Current Frame
Save Next Frame
Detect Differences
Start
Locate rectangle around connecting edges
Mark largest rectangle and its center on video
Send coordinates to servo motors
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Target Differentiation

• Identify Friend/Foe (IFF) Capability
• Identity determined by color of uniforms
• Sample color around aim-point
• Compare to predetermined safe color spectrum
• Color Spectrum Example
• Safe Color Red
• Color Range Accepted as Red
• R 235-255 G 0-50 B 0-50

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Problem 1 Target Acquisition Rate

• Motion Tracking software currently exhibits a
  delay between image capture and target
  identification
• Acquisition time needs to be fast enough to
  prevent targets from bypassing the turret

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Target Acquisition Rate Solutions

• Reduce Image Resolution
• Improve Simple Compression Algorithm
• Filter and sort motion sources based on relative
  size
• Employ a more powerful central processor

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Problem 2 Target Differentiation

• Current software converts images to grayscale
• IFF code may decrease run speed
• Color sampling locations may not be consistent

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Preliminary Acceptance Testing
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Project Schedule

• 3/29/10 Basic Servo Control functional
• 4/05/10 Total System Integration
• 4/19/10 IFF Operational
• 4/26/10 Prototype Complete

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Conclusions

• FAST Revolutionary New Defense Technology
• Reliable Basic Design
• Functional Motion Tracking
• Problems
• Acquisition Rate
• Target Differentiation
• Questions?