School of Engineering + Technology

Nantahala Outdoor Center: Raft Tracking System

Requirements

Problem Statement Modified Objectives*

Final Design/Results *

Team & Acknowledgements

Concepts

Original Objectives • Determine the current situation of the NOC’s location tracking• Build concepts to improve the current method• Screen the concepts for final design• Measure boundaries and limitations of the chosen tracking system• Build/Program the tracking system of choice• Test the range, accuracy, ease of use, durability, and possible battery life.• Check the final proof of concept for any lingering issues

Requirements met• Less than $40 per Boat• Waterproof Tags• Small size, not noticeable• Database for ease of useRequirements not met Because of the Virus• Range, Testing the reader data

transfer over cell service• Battery Life, couldn’t test the battery

life• Finalized database

• The team had 3 initial concepts• Raspberry Pi's with GPS modules• Active RFID• Passive RFID

• The concept selected was Passive RFID and the benefits are• Smaller and cheaper tags/per raft• Longer lasting system

Currently the NOC’s method of tracking rafts is not as accurate as they would like. Keeping up with the rafts that are physically on the river is almost impossible. Timetables for when the rafts will be returning are unreliable due to various reasons. We will be devising ways to fix these issues. Completion of this project will increase the workflow of the NOC as well as ease the minds of the employees.

• The Final design incorporates three RFID readers, Two Seeonic Sightware FT Cellular UHF RFID readers and one Alien ALR-H460 Handheld RFID Reader shown below(1). One of the Seeonic Sightware FT Cellular UHF RFID readers will be stationed at the raft put in spot in a waterproof container with an internal battery pack and the other one will be stationed at the Nantahala Outdoor Center raft take out spot in a fixed waterproof container and a power wire will be ran from the offices.

• Final concepts or approaches• Use figures, Images, etc.• We partially tested the RFID tags we had but the other tags didn't arrive until spring break

so we did not get to test them

• Due to Covid-19 Pandemic the team was not able to access the labs to work on the project because to write the code the readers must be wired to a computer

• The Team transitioned the meetings to online using Zoom

• The project shifted more into creating the raft database and documentation for the next team

• Team members• Jeremy Burgin, ECET

• Thomas Deck, BSE Concentration in Mechanical

• Ian Harris, ET

• Thomas Pierce, ECET

• Emily Threatt, EE

• Others• Wes Stone, WCU, School of Engineering & Technology

• William Irving, NOC President

• Mickey Timpone, NOC

• Shawn Lyvers, WCU, Rapid Center, Center Project Engineer

Summary

* On March 16, 2020 classes and labs were closed to students due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Without access to fabrication and testing equipment, Objectives and Deliverables were modified accordingly.

• Assed the needs of the NOC• Purchased equipment to track rafts• Conducted minimal testing on tags and

readers• Developed a preliminary database for

tracking• Provided documentation of everything

done up to this point for future implementation

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