Development of an Automated Power Beam

Project Title

Development of an Automated Power Beam

Project Area of Specialization Information & Communication TechnologyProject Summary

Power Beam is a RF signal antenna which can be used as both transmitter and receiver to establish Long range wireless communication. It is used on each side of a point to point link. It is used in wireless networks in conditions where a wired network is not suitable/feasible because of factors such as terrain, cost, availability, etc. Its most common application is long range wireless internet(Up to 25km).

The Power Beam directs RF energy in a tighter beam width. With the focus in one direction, the Power Beam blocks or spatially filters out noise, so noise immunity is improved. This feature is especially important in an area crowded with other RF signals of the same or similar frequency. This is done to make sure the signal that is received at the Client end is the Strongest.

To make sure the beam that is being received is at the perfect angle, the dish of the Power Beam needs to be adjusted at a perfect angle which requires technical skills of an expert. To avoid the hassle, other forms of communication such as TV dish antenna’s can be moved using a remote control. This can be done as the Dish usually lies on the roof of a home or not very high from the ground.

The problem however with Power Beam is, as it is hung really high from the Ground(to get best possible reception) where there is a higher chance that it will get caught in wind, thus increased risk of a Change in reception angle which requires regular maintenance and adjustments to fix. This technology is only in its 2nd Generation so no technology exists to move it wirelessly, it has to be done manually by sending an expert on the tower which creates safety problems as well as a tiresome process which in most cases waste hours which is not acceptable in a Professional Environment.

The need of the hour is to make these adjustments work automatically by deploying a system that makes it easy to install, adjust and fix to avoid hours of downtime and Lag in the internet speed as well the hassle of sending a person every time even if you need a small change in angle.

Project Objectives

Following are the main Objectives of this Project:

• The Adjustment process of Power Beam will be made Automatic to make the maintenance easier, efficient, less time consuming and less costly. 
• The Installation process of Power Beam will also be made easier so it takes less time to install resulting in a reduction in installation costs.
• Human Intervention will be decreased significantly thus reducing the safety risks involved in the job for the Antenna Operator..

Project Implementation Method

The project will be implemented in 2 phases.

Phase 1:

The manual process will be removed so no human has to go up the tower for the maintenance. It will be done from the ground by using embedded systems to control the servo motors which in turn will control the movement of the antenna.

Phase 2:

After phase 1, the process will still involve a human to make the adjustments. To get rid of that & make the system completely automatic, we will use energy sensing mechanisms by feeding the incoming/outgoing signal's data directly into the embedded systems which in turn will control the servo motors to move the antenna in the perfection angle to make sure the signal being recieved is the strongest. 

Benefits of the Project

Following are the benefits of this project:

• By making the Adjustment process of Power-Beam Automatic, the maintenance will be easier, efficient, less time consuming and less costly. It will also result in a significant reduction in internet downtime as it takes a long time to maintain it as the critical angles are difficult to achieve manually at height. 
• By making the Installation process of Power Beam easier, it will take less time to install the product resulting in a reduction in installation costs. the safety risks involved in the job for the Antenna Operator will be reduced thus making the process safe, reliable and without any risks. Reduction in Human intervention will also make sure the process removes human errors.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

The final Hardware & Software integrated system will consist of the following components.

• 2 PowerBeams, one acting as a reciever and other one as a trasmitter to transmit the signal. The recieveing end will be automated completely. 
• The gear mechanism to rotate and move the antennas, will use pulleys with wires for change in direction. i.e. horizontally, vertically or diagonally. The load bearings will make sure the movement is smooth so the critical angles are achieved smoothly without any disturbances or friction. 
• The embedded system with the help of servo motors will control the movements and rotations. It will also control the movements and rotations with the help of live data that it will recieve from the power beam using the energy sensing mechanism and will direct towards the motors

The final product will make sure that the process is fully automated, reliable and efficient. 

Final Deliverable of the Project HW/SW integrated systemCore Industry TelecommunicationOther Industries IT , Others , Security , Telecommunication Core Technology RoboticsOther Technologies Artificial Intelligence(AI), Internet of Things (IoT), OthersSustainable Development Goals Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Partnerships to achieve the GoalRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	70000
PowerBeam	Equipment	2	17000	34000
Servo Motors	Equipment	6	2000	12000
Gear Mechanism Equipment(Metal Work, Pulleys, Wire, Load Bearings,etc)	Equipment	1	7000	7000
Arduino Accessories	Equipment	1	6000	6000
Arduino	Equipment	3	1000	3000
Wires(Electrical, Network, etc)	Equipment	1	2000	2000
Miscellaneous	Miscellaneous	1	6000	6000