Relay Connectivity in High Interference Environments Through Deployable Ultra-Wide Bandwidth Wireless Nodes

Abstract

This paper describes an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) system designed to navigate and map unfamiliar high interference and wireless obstructing environments. The UGV utilizes LiDAR for local area mapping, a camera for video feed, and houses a node deployment mechanism. The nodes deployed are self-sufficient, low-cost, AA battery-powered, seamlessly connect over RF for data transmission, and integrate a Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor for proximity awareness. Each node is controlled by the Nordic nRF52840 System-on-Chip (SoC) with a mounted Qorvo DWM3000 Ultra-Wideband (UWB) wireless module. The half-duplex DWM3000 was released by Qorvo in 2020 and has the potential to be used for various mobile, consumer, and industrial applications given its size and low power usage. The remote interface displays the video feed from the UGV, a local view of the mapped area, a larger view of the entire mapped area, and a catalog of all PIR sensor information. The most challenging aspect of implementation is seamless node data transmission. The half-duplex nature of the communication introduces the traditional hidden and exposed terminal problems, requiring some coordination between the nodes’ transmission and reception periods.