Month: December 2024

Zhixi’s Status Report for 12/07/2024

Personal Accomplishment

What did you personally accomplish this week on the project? Give files or photos that demonstrate your progress. Prove to the reader that you put sufficient effort into the project over the course of the week (12+ hours).

This week, I worked closely together with my teammates on debugging the whole pipelined integration system and progressing the final report, poster, videos, and demo. For the integration system, I collaborated with my team to identify and address an issue where running the two subsystems simultaneously caused the audio output to fail with random frequency of speech. While we initially suspected the audio hat hardware, we determined that the root cause was signal interference during integration. We were using two threadings, one for the radar-audio subsystem, and the other for the gps. To resolve this, I helped replace threading with subprocesses, which allowed the subsystems to run in isolated environments. The current integration seem to work better than before based on our integration tests with the whole system. Additionally, we modified the system to operate immediately upon pressing a button on the vest, eliminating the need for external control via a laptop.

I also actively participated in extensive testing, including unit tests for individual components, integration tests for the subsystems, and comprehensive testing of the fully assembled vest. By adhering to the testing protocols outlined in our design report, we validated the system’s functionality and performance under expected conditions (see group report for detailed results). The testing also lead to the fine tuning and modification of our system, adapting more to our use case requirements. I changed the code logic for obstacle detection – the radar would have a memory of old obstacles for 3 seconds without reporting it repeatedly, however, would report and consider the obstacle as a new one after 3 seconds even if it is the same one detected before.

Schedule

Is your progress on schedule or behind? If you are behind, what actions will be taken to catch up to the project schedule?

Our project is slightly behind schedule due to minor unexpected issues. To address this, I have been working closely with my team to ensure we dedicate sufficient time to catching up. With the final deadline next week, I will continue focusing on optimizing our workflow to deliver all required deliverables on time.

Upcoming Deliverables

What deliverables do you hope to complete in the next week?

  • Perform additional functionality checks to ensure all components are working reliably.
  • Finalize and submit the final video, poster,  demo, and report

Team’s Status Report for 12/07/2024

Risk and Plans

What are the most significant risks that could jeopardize the success of the project? How are these risks being managed? What contingency plans are ready? 

  1. Inconsistent Audio Alerts: Audio playback occasionally generates random buzzing noise and refuse to play sound.
  2. GPS Indoors: GPS loses connection in indoor environments, which affects the system’s reliability in scenarios requiring emergency alerts.

Risk Management

  • Audio Alerts:
    • Conducted detailed debugging of audio playback configurations.
    • When the subsystem is running individually, it works fine. If we use sandboxes for pipelining, it performs better than threading so that’s our alternatives for now.
    • Tested multiple audio outputs under varying conditions to isolate and address the issue.
    • Exploring alternative methods, including direct smartphone speaker integration as a fallback.
  • GPS Indoors:
    • Implementing fallback mechanisms using accelerometer-based motion tracking for emergency alerts in indoor environments.

Change in Design

Were any changes made to the existing design of the system (requirements, block diagram, system spec, etc)? Why was this change necessary, what costs does the change incur, and how will these costs be mitigated going forward?

  • Obstacle Detection Threshold Refinement: Adjusted the radar system to detect only obstacles with a normalized magnitude larger than 100 relative units.
  • Reason for Change
    • Background Noise Filtering: During initial testing, the radar detected minor obstacles (e.g., small debris) that were irrelevant to the user’s navigation. These false detections led to unnecessary alerts.
    • Focused Detection: By normalizing the radar magnitude relative to the distance and setting a magnitude threshold, the system now filters out insignificant objects, ensuring only relevant obstacles trigger alerts.

The updated obstacle detection function considers:

  1. Distance Range: Objects must be within a valid range of 0.5m to 10m.
  2. Normalized Magnitude: Objects must have a normalized magnitude (magnitude scaled by distance²) exceeding a threshold of 500

Schedule Updates

Provide an updated schedule if changes have occurred.

Despite the technical challenges, our project remains on schedule. The hardware and software components have been tested individually, and integration work is beginning as planned. Next week, we will focus on:

  1. Integration Testing: Finalize and validate the entire system in real-world environments.
  2. Emergency Alert Performance: Conduct extensive fall detection and GPS-based alert accuracy testing.

Testing Summary

Unit Test Requirement Testing Plan Results
Obstacle Detection ≤ 15% false negatives, ≤ 20% false positives Simulated walking tests with radar in diverse environments (e.g., sidewalks, narrow hallways). 12% false negatives, 18% false positives.
Audio Response ≥ 40dB, ≤ 1 second response time Measured radar signal processing to audio response time and decibel levels over 100 iterations. Avg: <0.3 sec, 45dB. Random audio dropouts identified.
Fall Detection ≤ 5% false negatives, ≤ 20% false positives Simulated falls and non-fall movements with accelerometer-based tracking. Testing ongoing; initial results within acceptable limits.
GPS Alert Accuracy ≤ 10m error, alert within 5 seconds Measured time to send alerts and GPS precision in on-road scenarios. Testing ongoing; initial accuracy within 10m radius.
Wearability Weight < 3kg Measured total vest weight with integrated hardware. Vest weight: 1.2kg. Comfortable fit.
Battery Life ≥ 3 hours Calculated battery life under average and peak loads. Estimated uptime: 24 hours with 26,800mAh power bank.

Integration Test Plan

Test Case Purpose Procedure Results
Fully Integrated System Navigation Validate obstacle detection and user guidance. User wears the vest and navigates an obstacle course while blindfolded. Clear audio guidance provided; users avoided obstacles.
Emergency Alerts Ensure accurate caregiver notifications. Simulate falls and monitor real-time alerts via web interface. Alerts triggered within acceptable time.
Real-Time Obstacle Alerts Validate pipeline efficiency. Introduce dynamic obstacles and measure system response times. Response time consistently under 0.5 seconds.
Extended Runtime Test Evaluate long-term system stability. Run the system continuously for 4 hours, monitoring all metrics. System operated with no crashes for first several hours. However our rpi refused to connect through vnc. We are trying to debug this.

During testing, we encountered connectivity issues with rpi4. The RPI refused to connect remotely via VNC, timing out consistently. While we could still access the system by connecting the RPI to a monitor directly, this limitation affects the flexibility of remote debugging and system adjustments. We are investigating network configurations and potential firewall issues to address this problem. Additionally, the audio system remains unstable. While it generally functions as intended, it occasionally produces buzzing sounds, which could confuse or distract the user. This issue seems intermittent and may be related to audio port configurations or signal interference. To mitigate this, we are conducting detailed debugging of the audio playback system and also send a new order of speaker to check if our hardware is broken.

Our integrated system image:

 

Connie’s Status Report for 12/07/2024

Personal Accomplishment

What did you personally accomplish this week on the project? Give files or photos that demonstrate your progress. Prove to the reader that you put sufficient effort into the project over the course of the week (12+ hours).

    • Presentation:
      On Wednesday, I presented the progress and outcomes of our project during our final presentation.
    • Debugging Chrome Issues:
      • Deployed the web app using Firebase to ensure accessibility for testing.
      • Encountered and debugged issues with Chrome browser compatibility. Specifically, the app failed to connect due to the error: “Cannot safely connect to WebSocket (ws).” This issue arises because Chrome enforces stricter privacy policies compared to Safari and Firefox.
      • Attempted to resolve the issue using the API workaround provided by Firebase with wss instead but am still troubleshooting. Notably, the web app functions without issue on Safari.
      • Resolved several CORS-related bugs to enhance the app’s stability across different environments.
    • Email Notification Feature:
      Implemented the functionality to send email notifications to caregivers when the accelerometer detects a threshold-triggering event. There are some minor triggering issue with this function which I am actively solving.
    • Integration Work:
      • Assisted in integrating all components into the vest.
      • Participated in integration testing, ensuring that the hardware and software components work together seamlessly.
    • Raspberry Pi Connectivity:
      Investigated the ongoing issue with the Raspberry Pi failing to connect via VNC, where the connection times out. Despite direct access through a monitor, the remote access issue remains unresolved. Efforts included debugging network configurations and checking for firewall or permission-related constraints.

Schedule

Is your progress on schedule or behind? If you are behind, what actions will be taken to catch up to the project schedule?

There are minor delays with resolving the Chrome compatibility and Raspberry Pi connection issues. Integration and testing are progressing as planned, and the system functionality is improving steadily.

Upcoming Deliverables

What deliverables do you hope to complete in the next week?

In the coming week, I plan to achieve the following deliverables:

  1. Resolve Chrome Compatibility Issues:
    Implement and validate the API workaround provided by Firebase to address the WebSocket connection problem on Chrome. Test extensively to ensure consistent performance across all major browsers.
  2. Fix Raspberry Pi Connectivity:
    Identify and resolve the root cause of the Raspberry Pi’s inability to connect remotely via VNC, ensuring reliable remote debugging capabilities.
  3. Finalize Integration Testing:
    Conduct comprehensive integration testing of the system, focusing on edge cases and user scenarios. Validate that the vest performs seamlessly in real-world environments.
  4. Enhance Notification System:
    Optimize and validate the email notification feature to ensure it triggers accurately and consistently when the accelerometer threshold is breached.
  5. Prepare for Final Demonstration:
    Compile the results of integration testing and finalize system refinements based on any issues identified. Ensure the system is ready for final review and demonstration.

Eleanor’s Status Report for 12/07/2024

Personal Accomplishment

What did you personally accomplish this week on the project? Give files or photos that demonstrate your progress. Prove to the reader that you put sufficient effort into the project over the course of the week (12+ hours).

This week, I focused on debugging the integration system, assembling all electronic components onto the vest, and advancing work on the final report, poster, videos, and demo. For the integration system, the two subsystems functioned well when running separately or synchronously, but running them in parallel caused the audio output to malfunction. Initially, we suspected an issue with the audio hat wiring, but we later identified the problem as signal interference during integration. To address this, I replaced threading with subprocesses, allowing the two subsystems to run in isolated sandboxes. This change improved overall performance. Additionally, we modified the system to start functioning as soon as the button is pressed, which represents reboot, eliminating the need for laptop operation.

We also conducted extensive testing, including integration tests and overall system tests of the vest. By following tests expected and shown in the design report, we completed the unit tests for each components, the integration tests for two subsystems and the whole large system, and the overall test by wearing assembling the physical vest (see results in group report).

Schedule

Is your progress on schedule or behind? If you are behind, what actions will be taken to catch up to the project schedule?

Our progress has been slightly behind schedule due to some unexpected minor issues. However, with the final deadline approaching next week, we plan to dedicate more time and effort to the project in the coming days to catch up and ensure everything is completed on time.

Upcoming Deliverables

What deliverables do you hope to complete in the next week?

  • Double check functionalities and ensure stubborns
  • Finalize and deliver the final video, poster,  demo, and report