[Index] ([Project Info]) [Overview] [Tracking Algorithm] [Hardware] [Acknowledgements] [Download]

[Background Project Information]


[Project]

Grade Grouping: 12
Team Size: 1
Subject Area: Engineering
Project Type: Descriptive
Project Level: Advanced
Project Format: Traditional

[Summary]

The purpose of this project is to develop a more efficient method for performing real-time object tracking without the use of a high-speed microprocessor or a significant amount of Random Access Memory (RAM). The project has two main components: the support hardware, and the tracking hardware. The support hardware provides the interface to the real world. This includes digitizing the analog video signal, the interface to a mouse, and the on-screen display. The on-screen display is used to display the mouse pointer overtop of the video signal for simple point and click object tracking. The tracking hardware is the core of the project, and takes signals from the support hardware and processes this data to find the object of interest. This data is then passed back to the support hardware and displayed on-screen for the user, and is also used in any additional hardware such as a camera mount that keeps the camera pointed at the object. This project used fairly low-cost hardware to create a real-time object tracker. Currently, it resides in a size 3U Rack, as well as having a small 10 cm board (called Eagle in a Board) to prove that the design can be compressed. It is possible to create an efficient object tracker that performs in real time using custom hardware implemented on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). This shows it does not require a high-performance microprocessor or a considerable amount of RAM to make an object tracking device.

[Tools]

[Software Tools Used]

[Hardware Tools Used]

[Skills]



[Index] ([Project Info]) [Overview] [Tracking Algorithm] [Hardware] [Acknowledgements] [Download]