The “BLUESLEMON” project aims to develop a low-cost automatic system for monitoring landslide surface displacement using beacons, provided by Beacon Südtirol-Alto Adige project, and drones. This talk focuses on how FOS spa exploits short-range wireless networks, in particulary Bluetooth, in order to recognize beacons positions from a drone reconnaissance flight.

1. The Blueslemon project: using short-range wireless
networks to localize beacons on landslide surface
Gabriele Scarton
gabriele.scarton@fos.it
Gruppo FOS S.p.A.
NOI Techpark Südtirol/Alto Adige, Bolzano, 13th November 2020 – SFScon2020
@SFScon #SFScon #SFScon20
The Blueslemon project: using short-range wireless
networks to localize beacons on landslide surface

2. Fare clic per modificare lo stile del titolo dello schemaThe Blueslemon project
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The development of the project is cofounded by provincial funds (Südtirol P.Law 14 / 2006)
as Cooperation Project n. 006/2018.
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Gravity driven natural hazards as landslides and avalanches pose an
important threat in alpine areas:
Safety risk – Structures integrity – Impact on tourism
Proposed solution:
An innovative monitoring system, working in extreme conditions, which
integrates state of the art technologies:
IoT Bluetooth beacons and Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems
The Blueslemon project

3. Fare clic per modificare lo stile del titolo dello schemaBlueslemon partners and supporters
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Project Partners:
Lead partner of the project, over 20
years of experience in ITC,
integrating its expertise in the fields
of Automation, Telecommunications
and Engineering and collaborating
with several Research centers in
Europe
Technology partner for RPAS,
speaker at next presentation (15:20,
Track 4)
Research Partner for data analysis
Supporters:
Digital Technologies ICT
and Alpine Automotive
Automation departments
The Beacon Südtirol –
Alto Adige
Provincia Autonoma di
Bolzano – Alto Adige
@SFScon #SFScon #SFScon20
Blueslemon partners and supporters

4. Fare clic per modificare lo stile del titolo dello schemaHow the Blueslemon project works
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1) Select situ
2) Deploy beacons
3) Scans beacons
using UAV
4) Data Analysis
5) Repeat scans
and analysis
6) Retrieve beacons
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How the Blueslemon project works

5. Fare clic per modificare lo stile del titolo dello schemaBeacons: needs, challenges and peculiarities
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Alpine environment:
• Extreme weather conditions
• Large areas
• Environment preservation
Requirements:
• Wireless communication
• Small cost and high availability
• Low impact and easy configuration
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Beacons: needs, challenges and peculiarities

6. Fare clic per modificare lo stile del titolo dello schemaBeacons specifications
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Provided by Beacon Südtirol – Alto Adige
• Bluetooth Low Energy
• 7 years batteries
• Easily adaptable to various supports
• Configurable via REST API
• No pairing:
 Rest API could not work offline
 Limits on pairing
 Advertising packets give RSSI
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Beacons specifications

7. Fare clic per modificare lo stile del titolo dello schemaController specifications
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Installed on Linux-based system:

First tests on Raspberry Pi Zero W

Deployed on the drone companion
computer
• Bluez: Official C module for Linux

No API specific for scripting

Interfaces for command line:

hcitool

hcidump
• Adafruit Bleio: script handling HCI
Controller specifications

8. Fare clic per modificare lo stile del titolo dello schemaHow the beacons-controller system works
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
Not paired

Advertising
hcidump --raw
hcitool lescan 
Address

RSSI
How the beacons-controller system works

9. Fare clic per modificare lo stile del titolo dello schemaFirst test envinroment
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NOI Techpark Map – A1 building – Floor 2
https://maps.noi.bz.it/
First test envinroment

10. Fare clic per modificare lo stile del titolo dello schemaFirst results
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All successfull scans:

26,85% below 1 seconds

78,50% below 2 seconds

91,25% below 3 seconds
First results

11. Fare clic per modificare lo stile del titolo dello schemaResults
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A completly innovative approach
No example at State of the Art:
• Small scale systems

Pairing of all beacons, giving more informations (LQI)

Algorithm based on supporting sensors (WiFi, accelerometer)
• Indoor systems

Algorithms based on wall obstacles
• Mostly fixed beacons

Algorithms based on fixed known positions

12. Fare clic per modificare lo stile del titolo dello schemaResults
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A completly innovative approach
A pre-determined drone path
• Supporting sensors

GPS RTK installed on drone and beacons mapped

Low range network on beacons
• Outdoor system

Algorithms based on mean of RSSI value

Comparison to expected values
A completly innovative approachAn innovative solution

13. Fare clic per modificare lo stile del titolo dello schemaNext steps / improvements
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• Integration with GPS RTK and low range wireless network as RFID to
improve precision
• Field tests (when possible)
• Handle pairing
• Use data in real time to control drone path
Next steps / improvements

14. Thank you for your attention!
Questions?
Thank you for your attention!
Questions?
“Bluetooth ” icon by il Capitano, “Landslide” icon by Laymik, UA, “Drone” icon by Rflor from thenounproject.com with changes.
Interested in the autonomous UAS part
of the BLUESLEMON project?
Stay here for Alex Bojeri presentation!
h. 15:20 @ Track 4
Gabriele Scarton – Gruppo FOS S.p.A. - gabriele.scarton@fos.it