Development of a Sensor Network for Pedestrian Data Collection

In this ongoing research project we are interested in collecting data at the pedestrian facility level (e.g. train station, outdoor festival area) using automated techniques. This means that the data gathering process should be able to know where a particular pedestrian entered, what activities they performed, and where they exited the system. We need a system of sensors that can cover the entire study area and are able to communicate with each other and the central mobile server.

We are developing a communication network architecture that can achieve this purpose. The deployed sensors will be part of a IEEE 802.11 (also know as WiFi) communication network that will use Internet Protocol (IP) layer for network identification and connection, while User Datagram Protocol (UDP) layer for the data communication. To ensure security of the network, the UDP packets will be encrypted using Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol outlined in RFP43471. Here we will take advantage of the initial work done on the mobility over TCP/IP networks by myself.

The sensors may include, cameras, depth sensors, infra-red, thermal and other sensors. Each of them will have a raspberry pi board attached, which will act as a controller of the sensor and as a wireless communication point. This board will also do some level of the onsite processing of the data.

The network will be able to communicate two-ways between the sensors and with the mobile server. This will ensure that most of the pedestrian identification and tracking can be performed at sensors in a cooperative manner. The pedestrian traces will then be gathered and fused at the mobile server so to eventually be transmitted to a cloud based data warehouse.

Faculty Supervisor:

Bilal Farooq

Student:

VI?T ??NG

Partner:

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

University:

Program:

Globalink