Laser Guidance, Maglav Wagon, Wifi barrier

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around potential senior project ideas in engineering, specifically focusing on a laser-guided missile system, a WiFi barrier using focused jammers, and a MagLev wagon utilizing magnetic levitation technology. Participants explore the technical aspects and challenges associated with these concepts.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant outlines three project ideas: a laser-guided missile, a WiFi barrier, and a MagLev wagon.
  • Another participant discusses the guidance system for the missile, mentioning the use of sensors and a simple programming approach to control the missile's flight based on laser detection.
  • Concerns are raised about ensuring the missile's system only responds to the intended laser, with suggestions for modulation techniques to distinguish the laser spot from other light sources.
  • There is a proposal to use continuous wave modulation or coded modulation to enhance the missile's ability to identify its target, with an idea for multiple projectiles to hit different targets simultaneously.
  • One participant expresses a desire to keep the missile design compact to minimize aerodynamic influence from the wings, discussing the challenges of integrating flaps with the motor.
  • For the WiFi barrier, a concept is presented involving physical blocking with antennas arranged to minimize interference between signals.
  • Another participant acknowledges the potential of the projects, noting their relevance to military applications and security measures.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express interest in the proposed projects, but there is no consensus on the technical approaches or solutions to the challenges raised. Multiple competing views on the implementation details remain evident.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various technical challenges, such as power supply considerations for the missile system and the need for effective modulation techniques, without resolving these issues. The discussion reflects a range of assumptions and dependencies on specific technologies.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to engineering students, hobbyists in robotics and electronics, and individuals exploring advanced project ideas in the fields of aerospace, telecommunications, and applied physics.

cnix217
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Hey all!

I am gearing up for next year to do a senior project, I want to knock it out in my spare time for the next 10 months.

Ideas are:
1) Laser guided missile- 2 phase motor, one to go up then again to go to 'lazed' target.
2) Wifi barrier- setup focused jammers to create a 'wall' of interference
3) MagLav wagon- Mix metals in concrete flooring and setup a wagon with inductors so all the weight is easily moved
 
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Alright, well so far I have been working on the guidance for the missile. It has been easy to make a simple program where the sensors in the cone will have a value of 1 or 0 and then summed up for that region. I figured that with the speed at which this thing will be flying, it really does not need to be incredibly smart and simple case statements for comparing the regions will suffice with few exceptions. Once the region has a value, it translate to the motors hooked up to fin, blah blah blah...
My only problem so far is making sure the system only picks up my laser and not all forms of light. My STM32 board and a simple circuit should be able to handle that after trouble shooting. I am now thinking about a good power source for the board and flaps to demo and one for actual flight.

For the demo to profs it won't be flying and only be showing how when the laser moves the flaps move. But ill make sure a video goes up for when I get this puppy all put together.

Has anyone done anything like this before?
 
cnix217 said:
Hey all!

I am gearing up for next year to do a senior project, I want to knock it out in my spare time for the next 10 months.

Ideas are:
1) Laser guided missile- 2 phase motor, one to go up then again to go to 'lazed' target.
2) Wifi barrier- setup focused jammers to create a 'wall' of interference
3) MagLav wagon- Mix metals in concrete flooring and setup a wagon with inductors so all the weight is easily moved

cnix217 said:
Alright, well so far I have been working on the guidance for the missile. It has been easy to make a simple program where the sensors in the cone will have a value of 1 or 0 and then summed up for that region. I figured that with the speed at which this thing will be flying, it really does not need to be incredibly smart and simple case statements for comparing the regions will suffice with few exceptions. Once the region has a value, it translate to the motors hooked up to fin, blah blah blah...
My only problem so far is making sure the system only picks up my laser and not all forms of light. My STM32 board and a simple circuit should be able to handle that after trouble shooting. I am now thinking about a good power source for the board and flaps to demo and one for actual flight.

For the demo to profs it won't be flying and only be showing how when the laser moves the flaps move. But ill make sure a video goes up for when I get this puppy all put together.

Has anyone done anything like this before?

Glad you went with #1 and #2. No reason to be doing anything illegal for a school project. :smile:

The simplest way to distinguish your laser spot is to modulate it. You can use a continuous wave (CW) modulation at some frequency that does not have any natural light noise issues, or you could get fancier (like the military) and put a code in the modulation so that the projectile could distinguish which spot is its spot. That would be even a cooler project -- being able to have two projectiles in flight at once, hitting two different targets separated by a few meters.
 
berkeman said:
Glad you went with #1 and #2. No reason to be doing anything illegal for a school project. :smile:

The simplest way to distinguish your laser spot is to modulate it. You can use a continuous wave (CW) modulation at some frequency that does not have any natural light noise issues, or you could get fancier (like the military) and put a code in the modulation so that the projectile could distinguish which spot is its spot. That would be even a cooler project -- being able to have two projectiles in flight at once, hitting two different targets separated by a few meters.

LOL If i do it right i should get a visit from a few suits... jk jk
This sucks cause I am taking my signals class next semester so ill wait till then to do the modulation but i like the idea that it recognizes the laser via the 'pattern of light' the laser makes. That definitely changes my code though for sensor read out. Gotta love how this missile is getting smarter as i put more time into this project. Lastly, the only problem that I have now is figuring out how to set the flaps on the wings with the motor on account of the size of the missile. I want this thing as small as possible so that the wings do not have as much influence over the flight path. I am looking at these four little wings as softly turning the missile over a distance without sharp turns because the speed amplifies all the errors that could occur.

Oh an the law states that I can "offensively" block wifi =D ... which is why I am sticking to a physical block with signal and not a hack. I am thinking about running the actual antenna along the say a fence with thick aluminum on each side but its open on the top an bot, would look like, | O | so that it creates more of a 'wall' than anything. Than have say, four beacons, each with an amp, setup in a given area...

X-----------X
|...|
|...wifi1...| wifi2
|...|
X-----------X

There should be little to no interference from wifi 2 on 1 and vice versa... only issue is power LOL
 
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Hi there! Your ideas sound very interesting and ambitious for a senior project. Laser-guided missiles have been used in military applications for precision targeting, but it could definitely be a fascinating project to explore the technology and mechanics behind it. Similarly, creating a wifi barrier using focused jammers could have practical applications in blocking unwanted signals or enhancing security measures. And the concept of a MagLav wagon, utilizing magnetic levitation technology, is also quite intriguing. Whichever project you choose, I'm sure it will be a great learning experience and a valuable addition to your scientific knowledge and skills. Good luck with your project!