Tracking objects

vanakaru

Ahh, since you have experienced some difficulties similar to mine I would suggest to look for other options for tracking even if you use Isadora for the rest. Probably on windows you find more advanced tools. I used EyesWeb some 10 years ago with much better tracking success than Isadora today. This software is developed still so it is worth to look into.

Also Wii could be hacked to use as transmitter or a bluetooth device.

nick

Could you be more specific about what the object are, and how they will be moving about ?

davidtirosh

The objects are going to be baskets that I will be able to place any kind of sensor inside. The audience will be moving the along a pat that is 6FT wide and 30ft long. I will need to know where the objects are along the 30ft. It needs to be within 1 ft accuracy.

nick

I would be tempted to put infra red leds in each basket and then use a ir camera to locate them.

davidtirosh

The space has lots of natural lighting that changes constantly.

Do you think it could work?

simon

I don't think that will work despite the natural light the people moving the baskets will block them when they move them won't they?

nick

Will probably depend how many people are milling around them, but natural light does make it less likely.

Its best if you describe in detail what the scenario is - makes so much difference to what may or may not work.

fubbi

natural light has loads of IR, i would expect problems.

read a little about IR led tracking in the old forum:

http://forum.troikatronix.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=8693;search_string=smoother%20tracking;t=search_engine#8693

I'd say sculptures suggestion, maybe with different colored pingpongballs, chroma key and the eyes actor

fubbi

davidtirosh

Yeh. IR is out of the picture. The problem with the color detection is that pedestrians will come with various cloths in different colors and that will mess it up.

I am looking for some transmitter/receiver that has the ability to measure distance or proximity of a specific object.

davidtirosh

As for the environment. It will be a 6'X30' bridge that people will be moving back and forth on. They will carry the baskets (where i plan to put the transmitters). There can be 30 people at a time there and each one can move any basket (up to 8 baskets). By knowing which basket is where, I will manipulate localized speakers.

I was thinking also of something in the RFID family but the cheaper and simpler the better.

Arduino can also be a solution but I am still a bit lost.

MatthewH

I would consider exploring the sorts of RF tracking systems used in products like TTA StageTracker.

davidtirosh

It sounds very interesting and would love to test it, if this system is affordable.

Thank you

MatthewH

I suspect that system is not affordable and, to the best of my understanding, it won't perform the functions you would need anyway as it does not actually output tracking data but I figured that you might be able to look into sourcing or building a system that operates on similar principals as that system appears to meet most of your technical needs in terms of tracking multiple targets without consistent line of sight over a relatively large area.

nick

Most rfid people are familiar with is passive. Range between reader and tags is up to about 3 inches

You would need to use active rfid (the tag has its own power supply) to get the kind of range you need with rfid. There are various companies that do RTLS (real time location systems -using those kind of technologies to find position as well as identity). They often work on just locating which room something is in, but talk of doing positioning to 1ft accuracy. Suspect it will not be cheap.

Quick google search throws up this page (not saying this will do what you need, but is moving towards it)

http://www.codesource.com/cat_name/RFID_location_devices.aspx

fubbi

RFID-arduino-serial-isadora is technically possible. You will however have to have many receivers, because there is no (easy) way of measuring signal strength, only presence. So no triangulation.

GPS maybe? If its accurate enough. Plenty of arduino GPS resources out there

fubbi

davidtirosh

I think that GPS is not accurate enough. I believe 30ft range.

Today I will be contacting some Active RFID companies and will update.

davidtirosh

OK. Here is one idea for a system. Can someone please help me understand the last lines regarding the SDK. What I mean is, what additional info should I get regarding this and did anyone develop something like this before?

I am working with Mac traditionally but if needs be, I can get a PC for this project. I want to get the data into Izzy.

Is there anyone around NYC that I can hire on an artist salary, to write it for me?

Thank you for contacting GAO RFID INC.

As per our conversation today, please see the details below for our 433 MHz RFID tags and reader system,

- 433 MHZ. RFID Small Asset Tag Active 124018: US$49/each

[http://www.gaorfid.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=135&products_id=682](http://www.gaorfid.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=135&products_id=682)

- 433 MHZ. RFID Card Tag Active 124012: US$48/each

http://www.gaorfid.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=135&products_id=678

- 433 MHz Active RFID Reader with Ethernet 214015: US$1050/each

http://www.gaorfid.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=133&products_id=671

**I can give you . Net SDK free of charge with the reader. The reader can work with mac however we do not have any source codes or demo program for mac. You can use communications protocol to make an application for mac.**

Let me know if interested? or have any questions.

Thanks for choosing GAO RFID Best Regards,

nick

sdk means software development kit - it means they have examples written in .net, a coding standard used alot with Microsoft.

The reader will have details of how it transmits information over a network - this could be read on a mac, but they only have example code for doing it on pc.

did you say you needed to track distance as well as get an ID number when talking with them ?

davidtirosh

Yes. I need both. From what I gather I can get both because each card would have a unique ID.

Do you know anyone who could write some code for me to translate the info?

I saw that they have some SDKs for PC but I do not know if what they have already would translate into Izzy.

mark

Dear David,

One idea: use a PC to read the data, send it to Izzy on a Mac via OSC or serial communications. A cheap net book on the PC side should be totally sufficient.

Best,

M