Airborne Broadband Ultrasonic Tracking: Algorithms and Architectures for Mobile Devices

Abstract : This paper describes methods for embedded, real-time airborne broadband ultrasonic tracking. The tracker has been built around the assumption of a mobile operation that is deployed ad hoc and upon demand. In order for this to happen, the embedded, real-time operation of sensor nodes has been emphasized. The efficient signalling designs that make way for multiuser, ad hoc tracking deployment are thoroughly characterized, and shown to perform close to their infrastructure-reliant counterparts. System-level parameterization of tracking is also possible subject to application needs. We then demonstrate that real-time Doppler processing in the airborne broadband ultrasonic modality is possible, whereby velocity inference of mobile nodes is facilitated. Building on advancements from underwater acoustics research, a complex Doppler receiver has tough implications on real-time realizations. We study and characterize these requirements utilizing a high-level synthesis architectural exploration methodology. This has revealed that it is feasible to implement real-time Doppler tracking for airborne broadband ultrasound using modern reconfigurable fabrics.