Building a local positioning system to track runners using Ultra-Wideband

13 hours ago

12Urenloop is an annual 12-hour relay race held at Sint-Pieters square in Ghent, with teams using batons for lap counting.
Zeus WPI evolved from manual to automatic lap counting, first via Bluetooth modules in batons (2011), then a modernized stack (2019-2022).
UltraWideBand (UWB) technology enables centimeter-level localization by measuring signal travel time, similar to GPS but on a smaller scale.
UWB offers advantages like exact position measurement, per-team lap counting, detailed runner statistics, and less noise than Bluetooth.
Cheaper UWB modules (€12-25) make custom RTLS affordable compared to commercial solutions (e.g., Pozyx at ~€5000).
Custom hardware uses DWM3000 modules with ESP32 microcontrollers, with open-source Arduino code adapting Qorvo’s SDK.
Testing achieved range up to 50 meters and distance accuracy within 2 cm at short range, with calibrated tolerance of 10 cm at longer distances.
Positioning tests with three anchors and two tags achieved 10 position measurements per second using synchronized time slots.
The system was trialed at the 2024 12Urenloop, using USB-connected anchors, RabbitMQ for data aggregation, and a Bevy-based dashboard for live tracking.
Future steps include integrating tags into batons, adding more anchors (7-10), conducting reliability tests, and reusing time slots for efficiency.

Supports a 150 TOPS expansion module for real-time data processing in security, inspection, and advanced applications.
Developer-friendly SDK and APIs support large AI models for embodied AI interaction and autonomous decision-making.
Max speed over 6 m/s, peak joint torque about 95 N·m, and lightweight at 25 kg with battery.

Wi-Wi STAMP is a wireless time synchronization protocol from Japan's NICT, using the 900 MHz band for picosecond-level phase sync and millimeter-level distance accuracy.
Current prototypes achieve 20 ps phase jitter and 30 ns time sync; next generation aims for 5 ns in real-world use.
Demonstrated applications include wireless black burst time sync for video cameras and mm-level position tracking via a shell game with three units updating 20 times per second.

The Uputronics GPS/RTC Raspberry Pi Expansion Board is a timing receiver featuring an u-blox M8 GNSS chip, priced at £41.99.
It provides access to raw GNSS messages and correlator data, enabling sub-nanosecond precision for orbit determination and Doppler measurements.
The board does not include an antenna but works with both high-end and cheap antennas, though better reception comes with a nicer one.

The project involves building a cinematic chase camera rover using a large 1/5 scale RC chassis found at an industrial auction.
Key components include a Movi M10 3-axis gimbal for stabilization, a VESC motor controller, and a Connex Amimon wireless HD video system for low-latency transmission.
Custom parts like TPU fenders, a structural gimbal mount, and battery mounts were 3D printed or CNC machined to fit the chassis and improve durability.

The author built a physical 17x17 matrix of switches with integrated LEDs to simulate Conway's Game of Life, using a microcontroller (AVR128DA64) to control rows and columns.
The LED display uses a multiplexing scheme where each row is active for 1/17th of the time, requiring higher current (150 mA per LED) to maintain brightness, with MOSFETs for row and column switching.
User input is detected by reusing row select lines to ground and sensing switch closures via GPIO pins, with pull-up resistors integrated on the MCU.

Supports a 150 TOPS expansion module for real-time data processing in security, inspection, and advanced applications.
Developer-friendly SDK and APIs support large AI models for embodied AI interaction and autonomous decision-making.
Max speed over 6 m/s, peak joint torque about 95 N·m, and lightweight at 25 kg with battery.

Wi-Wi STAMP is a wireless time synchronization protocol from Japan's NICT, using the 900 MHz band for picosecond-level phase sync and millimeter-level distance accuracy.
Current prototypes achieve 20 ps phase jitter and 30 ns time sync; next generation aims for 5 ns in real-world use.
Demonstrated applications include wireless black burst time sync for video cameras and mm-level position tracking via a shell game with three units updating 20 times per second.

The Uputronics GPS/RTC Raspberry Pi Expansion Board is a timing receiver featuring an u-blox M8 GNSS chip, priced at £41.99.
It provides access to raw GNSS messages and correlator data, enabling sub-nanosecond precision for orbit determination and Doppler measurements.
The board does not include an antenna but works with both high-end and cheap antennas, though better reception comes with a nicer one.

The project involves building a cinematic chase camera rover using a large 1/5 scale RC chassis found at an industrial auction.
Key components include a Movi M10 3-axis gimbal for stabilization, a VESC motor controller, and a Connex Amimon wireless HD video system for low-latency transmission.
Custom parts like TPU fenders, a structural gimbal mount, and battery mounts were 3D printed or CNC machined to fit the chassis and improve durability.

The author built a physical 17x17 matrix of switches with integrated LEDs to simulate Conway's Game of Life, using a microcontroller (AVR128DA64) to control rows and columns.
The LED display uses a multiplexing scheme where each row is active for 1/17th of the time, requiring higher current (150 mA per LED) to maintain brightness, with MOSFETs for row and column switching.
User input is detected by reusing row select lines to ground and sensing switch closures via GPIO pins, with pull-up resistors integrated on the MCU.

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