Seismic Footstep Detector

Welcome to the Rayleigh Systems Seismic Footstep Detector Project site.

The Rayleigh Systems Seismic Footstep Detector is an undergraduate research and design project at Northern Arizona University, sponsored by Sandia National Laboratories of Albuquerque, New Mexico. To find out more about the project and its motivations, please visit our Project Description page.

The project is being completed by Rayleigh Systems, a design team comprised of four undergraduate engineering students. To learn more about the design team and its members, please visit the Team Members page.

As this is a learning experience, the design team is very concerned with the design process and the challenges associated with a project such as this. To learn more, please visit our Design Process and Current Progress pages.

Finally, if you are interested in the project and its final outcomes, Rayleigh Systems will be presenting the final product at the Northern Arizona University Undergraduate Research and Design Symposium on April 27, 2012. For more information, visit the Presentation Schedule page.

 

 

Project Abstract

The security of our border in southern Arizona requires a low cost detector that can distinguish foot traffic from other seismic activity such as vehicles and animals. Rayleigh Systems proposes a system that consists of a geophone network that wirelessly relays footstep detection information to a Border Patrol station. To achieve this, geophones were integrated with an amplifier and radio communication. Next, a footstep detection algorithm was created to accurately determine when a human is walking near the sensor. Finally, the team created a user interface so that border patrol officers can easily detect when a trespasser is present. This dynamic system developed by Rayleigh Systems for Sandia National Laboratories is an easy to use unit that will allow for a more cost effective solution for policing the border region by minimizing random use of drones, patrols and cameras and more effectively allocate their resources.