Hi. I have got interested in the Photon SoftAP and a potential use case. I was hoping to get some advice from the experts on the forum to advise on feasibility before I start up the learning curve. I don’t know much about the Photon in AP mode so my questions may seem a bit dumb.
The use case is related to trying to determine the position (roughly) of a moving object (like a runner or rider on a trail), and detect through software analysis of the RSSI when the object passes a race marker. The marker is like a turning point or waypoint in the race course. The racers have to round or pass the marker on one side only. A series of marker delineates the overall race course from a start point to a finish point. The start and finish can also be treated like markers as well. Each marker is remotely located outdoors and will not have any trunk connection to internet but will have GSM signal.
My concept is the use of a Photon in AP mode located at the fixed marker. The moving objects (the racers) would each carry a battery powered Photon. As a moving Photon approaches the Marker it would come into wifi range of the AP Mode Photon, which would then track the RSSI of the approaching moving Photon and via software work out when the RSSI had peaked (ie the moving Photon had reached its closest point to the marker, and started to travel away from the marker). The AP mode Photon would timestamp the point of the closest passing to the marker as well as the ID of the moving Photon.
Given the marker/AP Photon is likely located at a remote location (but in cell range), I had the idea of having an Electron connected to the AP Photon by serial to have the Electron pass the event data back to the cloud via GSM. The cloud software would track the various moving Photons in the race and allow viewers to follow the race at least to the point of seeing the order of racers passing various markers. This means each race marker would have a connected pair of a Photon and an Electron.
Note: Not all racers will necessarily pass by the marker very close to it. The detection method has to accommodate a wide range of distance from the marker (up to say 25 metres, but I figure this should easily be within the Photon AP wifi range in the outdoors).
So my questions:
- Is this a completely unfeasible idea?
- Is there a much simpler way of achieving the objective (within the Particle ecosystem)?
- Can a Photon in AP mode, read and track the RSSI of multiple moving Photons (ie a cluster of racers approaching the marker together)?
- Can a Photon in AP mode concurrently communicate with an Electron to pass it data whilst it processes RSSI data of the moving Photons?
Appreciate any advice you can share.
Regards
GM
Edit: NB: I already have toyed with the Electron based Asset Tracker, so I am aware of the existence and capabilities of this. Just in case you thought I didnt! The asset tracker is overkill for the requirements and requires greater levels of handling of position data for every racer.