Highway Deer Identification System

1
Highway Deer Identification System
May07-11 Team Information
Client
Members
Advisor

• Matthew Bonneau
• Tony DeLouis
• Nathan Schoening
• Steve Schreiber

Senior Design Dr. John W. Lamont Prof. Ralph E.
Patterson III
Dr. Degang Chen
August 22, 2013
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Presentation Outline

• Introduction
• Project Overview
• Project Activities
• Resources/Schedules
• Conclusion
• Demonstration
• Questions

3
List of Definitions

• Days of Autonomy
• The number of days a standalone system runs
  without power input
• Geophone
• Device that converts seismic vibrations into
  alternating current
• IR
• Infrared
• PV
• Photovoltaic (solar electric)

4
Problem Statement

• Deer Vehicle Collisions
• Dangerous
• Costly
• Potential for mitigation
• Active Detection and Warning
• Sense the presence of deer on/near road
• Warns motorists only when hazard exists

5
Operating Environment

• Environment
• Primarily Rural Highway
• -10 to 100C
• 0 to 100 Relative Humidity
• Precipitation
• Hazards
• Plows
• Mowing
• Utility/Road Maintenance

6
Intended Users and Uses

• Intended Users
• Motorists
• Installation/Maintenance Personnel
• Intended Uses
• Warn Motorists to Hazard On/Near Roadway

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Assumptions and Limitations

• Assumptions
• Deer are not the only hazard
• Minimal spurious warnings
• Needs to be more cost-effective than best
  alternative
• Limitations
• Minimal maintenance
• Potentially harsh operating environment
• Function without electric grid

8
End Product and Deliverables

• Detailed design for geophone-based deer detection
  system
• Component specifications
• Circuit diagrams
• Wiring diagrams
• Design for appropriate photovoltaic system
• Prototype of detection/warning circuit

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Present Accomplishments

• Accomplishments
• Designed the photovoltaic system
• Designed the detection/warning hardware
• Operationally tested the detection/warning
  hardware
• Functionally tested entire system

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Approaches Considered

• Laser-Break the Beam
• Cant track deer across road
• IR Motion
• Similar to home security system
• Cant discriminate
• IR Optical Recognition
• Expensive equipment
• Required sophisticated processing

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Approach Used

• Geophone-based sensing
• Detect vibrations in the ground
• Signal conditioning
• Amplification
• Filtering
• Peak detection
• LED Warning signs
• Photovoltaic power supply

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Project Definition

• Automated system to warn approaching vehicles
  that deer are near the highway
• System to protect one mile of highway
• Efficient and cost-effective
• Continue warning until deer have left road area
• Ignore crossroads and driveways
• Standalone power supply

13
Research

• Existing Systems
• What technologies exist?
• Which work best?
• Geophones
• Signal strength?
• Seismic frequencies?

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Research
JASON D. WOOD, CAITLIN E. O'CONNELL-RODWELL,
SIMON L. KLEMPERER (2005). Using seismic sensors
to detect elephants and other large mammals a
potential census technique. Journal of Applied
Ecology. 42 (3), 587594.
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Design

• Photovoltaic System
• Provide standalone power
• Geophones
• Detect vibrations
• Deer 25 Hz
• Signal Conditioning
• Amplification
• Filtering
• Detection/Warning
• Peak detection
• Flashing LEDs

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Design

• Photovoltaic System
• 12VDC Output
• 3 Days of Autonomy

15 Amps
85 Watts
12V Deep cycle 75 Amp-hours
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Design

• Signal Conditioning

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Design

• Detection and Warning

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Implementation

• Filtering and Amplification

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Implementation

• Detection and Warning
• Considered using microcontroller
• Team lacked programming experience
• Opted for analog peak detection

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Testing

• Verified
• High-pass filtering
• 300x amplification
• Edge detection
• DC Filter
• Geophone
• Issues Revealed
• Lack of selectivity
• Range vs. sensitivity

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Resources

• Personnel Efforts

• Other Resources

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Resources

• Financial Resources

24
Schedule
25
Project Evaluation

• Subsystem
• Motorist Warning
• Signal Conditioning
• Photovoltaic

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Project Evaluation
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Commercialization

• Has Potential for Commercialization
• Some systems are patented
• Cost to Consumers
• 18,000 per mile
• Both sides of road
• 200 geophones
• 40 margin
• Excluding installation
• Questions Remain
• Do these systems reduce number/severity of
  deer-vehicle collisions?
• Iowa DOT cut funding of similar system

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Recommendations for Additional Work

• Validation
• Does warning drivers reduce accident frequency?
• Long-term roadside testing
• Additional Functionality
• Data Logging
• Number of deer in given area
• System activity vs. driver speed
• Diagnostics
• Microcontroller-based detection

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Lessons Learned

• Its easy to over-research/analyze and put off
  making key decisions
• Check your batteries
• Take no action unless you know that it will take
  you closer to your desired outcome

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Risk Management

• Risk
• Delay in acquiring geophone
• Design detection circuit without having sensor
• Risk Management
• Adjustable gains and thresholds
• Kept filter stages flexible

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Closing Summary

• Deer-vehicle collisions
• Cause millions of dollars worth of damage
• Cause injuries and fatalities
• Active warning systems
• Have potential to reduce costs and injuries
• Are technically feasible
• Effectiveness is still unknown

32
Questions?