Multi-Modal Ball Positioning System
A hybrid tracking system combining UWB trilateration, mechanical modeling, and computer vision for impartial sports officiating.
Click to expand
Project Overview
The objective of this study was to design a high-precision system to determine the exact landing position of a ball. I developed a multi-modal approach combining wireless trilateration, mechanical trajectory modeling, and automated video analysis to ensure impartial arbitration.
Key Features
- UWB Trilateration: Implemented a real-time positioning system using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) anchors and tags, managed via Arduino and processed in Python.
- Mechanical Modeling: Derived and solved differential equations for ball trajectory, accounting for gravity and air resistance to predict landing points.
- Computer Vision: Developed an automated tracking algorithm using OpenCV to extract coordinates from video feeds and validate the physical model.
- Data Fusion: Applied Gram-Schmidt orthonormalization and polynomial regression to filter noise and interpolate trajectories from raw sensor data.
Technical Challenges
A major challenge was the precision of UWB distance measurements. I had to implement signal processing algorithms in Python to handle trilateration geometry and mitigate multi-path interference. Synchronizing the high-speed mechanical model with the visual data required precise calibration between the camera’s coordinate system and the physical test area.
“This study allowed me to bridge the gap between theoretical physics and real-time embedded data acquisition.”