GPS Dog Tracker

Arduino
PCB
Enclosure
Communication

The GPS dog tracker is a 3"x4" device that is attached to a backpack/harness. The tracker box is equipped with a GPS module that will acquire the GPS location of the tracker every 2 minutes and store this in a data log for examination by the user when the tracker is charging. The GPS module will be used to obtain the current date and time as well as the longitude and latitude. The tracker uses a micro-controller to encode the date, time, and location using the Automatic position reporting system (APRS) protocol. This encoded message will be transmitted over radio-frequency (RF) on 144.39Mhz under an FCC granted amateur radio license. The owner will use a receiver module to decode the RF transmission from the tracker unit. The user will be able to display the GPS coordinates on their mobile device to display the tracker's location relative to their location. The tracker unit must transmit for at least 8 hours and have a transmit range of at least 1 mile. The goal is for this GPS Dog Tracker to be a possible alternative to commercial GPS do collars that use cellular networks and require a yearly subscription for their services. Some of the most notable achievements that are group accomplished were being able to transmit the location within a mile of the tracker, changing the interval that the tracker transmitted data and also generating accurate GPS location. Some of the future developments that are group would like to include are the use of LORA and using a smaller system that is condensed onto a PCB (further details in the Project Artifacts section).

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Artifacts

Name Description
Project Document This is the document that outlines the project in-detail and includes all relevant project materials.   Download
Executive Summary This a summary of how things were approached in the project, a timeline of the project and some key lessons learned from the experience.   Download
Project Summary Video This is a link to a video of the group summarizing the project challenges and takeaways and achievements.   Link