Hello everyone! I want to highlight a very important problem on which I am currently working. The problem is to make a system that is to be placed at airport runway to detect FOD (Foreign Object Debris). FOD include anything found on runway that can cause damage to aircraft. FOD include screws, nuts, bolts, screws etc.
Currently I am using Jetson Nano connected with Logitech C920 USB camera and I am doing real time FOD detection using YOLOv4 and TensorRT at 4.6 FPS that is running in my lab. Now I want to shift this system from lab to actual runway so what are the considerations which are to be made i.e. in terms of camera etc. as from runway the video is needed to be sent to a control room that is 200 meters away?
I would think power delivery is an important part of this. Jetson’s tend to be a bit sensitive to voltage fluctuations, and so any kind of regulator would need to be close to the Jetson. Since this might be a bit critical I would consider a battery close to the Jetson, and then a shielded high quality regulator from battery to Jetson (with battery being trickle charged).
I would also suggest all cameras run on their own regulator, for example, via being the only camera on an externally powered HUB, unless you can demonstrate that under all power conditions the camera power draw will not be a problem.
If there is some sort of weather covering over the camera (e.g., behind plexiglass and with a cover over the top) I would actually train to recognize water splatter on the lens cover itself.
Ethernet tends to be reliable, but at 200 meters you definitely cannot simply run a long cable. If you had a network switch which can run fiber to any central location needing content, then that would work quite well (although fiber is expensive compared to copper).
You did not mention what temperature/humidity is expected, but you could consider placing the Nano in an electrically and environmentally shielded box (no direct sunlight on the Jetson, perhaps some simple heating if it is going to get cold, and perhaps a simple white or reflective top if you expect it to get hot). If it is going to be excessively high humidity or moisture, then the collection of dew should be considered and the Jetson placed such that any dew runoff would not hit the Jetson itself. In truly harsh conditions conformal coating would be a consideration, but I don’t know of anyone who has done this with the Jetson.
I would not consider any kind of WiFi, especially not at an airport. I would make sure the WiFi (if any) is disabled.