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?
As of right now, the main concerns we have are related to the WiFi stack and how much throughput we are actually able to get. We have attempted to minimize these risks by ordering the ESP32s that we plan on using last week. We will implement them as soon as possible and determine if more changes will have to be made. The main contingency plan that we have currently is if the throughput isn’t sufficient, we will include a larger antenna on the ESP32 or setup multiple ESP32s on the central node so that we can use multiple WiFi Channels for the camera nodes. Other measure could include increasing the compression setting on the JPEG compression algorithm or downsamping Cr Cb color components
Were any changes made to the existing design of the system (requirements,block diagram, system spec, etc)? Why was this change necessary, what costsdoes the change incur, and how will these costs be mitigated going forward?
No changes have been made to the current design. Proof of concept work for the modified JPEG compression algorithm is underway. Once the proof of concept compression algorithm is completed, we will have more information to decide if any aspects of the systems need to be changed. Work on the FPGA is also ongoing and once a proof of concept is complete, we will be able to revisit the design to determine if any changes are needed
Part A was written by Neelansh Kaabra, B was written by Varun Rajesh and C was written by Michael Lang.
Part A:
Our product has immense applications and considerations for public health, safety, and welfare. Our product is a security system, so we essentially care most about people’s safety and welfare, allowing them to monitor their surroundings when they are camping, and giving them an additional layer of protection and information about their campsite.
Being able to monitor the surroundings from all 360 degrees brings a sense of safety and security to the user, thus helping with the psychological and physiological well being of the user too. Our product helps better the public’s psychological state by allowing them to have a higher sense of comfort, while providing them with security benefits.
Part B:
This product has some social implications. One of the major benefits are for people who are afraid of the wilderness or have concerns about their safety when they are outdoors. This could bring a more diverse group of people together to go enjoy the outdoors. Beyond that however, I do not believe there are more social impacts.
Part C:
Our product uses commonly available components for all of the different modules. There shouldn’t be a significant issue in getting a system of production setup to mass produce these. The only somewhat specialized component is the FPGA. Even so that FPGA we are using is actively supported by a large company (Lattice). Distribution shouldn’t also be an issue since none of our parts require special handling or have an expiration date. Being cost-effective is one of our major design goals and thus owning the product should be too difficult financially