Robotic Exploration Laboratory
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
In this two-month project, my work centered on radio frequency signal processing for a simulated fleet of cube satellites that are designed to track wildlife using unintrusive tags.
![](https://kathrynlampo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/map-1.png)
In a short experiment conducted at the beginning of the project, RF data were collected using a set of four stationary receivers (simulating the satellites) and a moving beacon (simulating an animal being tracked). Throughout the summer, I worked on converting the raw data collected by the receivers into predictions of the beacon location over time. This was done by optimizing a time-of-flight equation for each of the four receivers simultaneously, and involved correlating and cleaning billions of samples across a 40-minute period.
As a part of the processing, I also accounted for time offsets between the receivers and cleaned up correlation results to determine more accurate signal arrival times. High-level precision was achieved, with typical residual values of around 22m in a kilometer squared testing site. Data processing methods were developed in MATLAB and are available on GitHub here.
Finally, I also worked to design and print a lightweight, water resistant radio receiver box for mounting on a drone. This will allow future developments to provide altitude determination accuracy in the experiment. The full CAD design is also available on GitHub here.
![](https://kathrynlampo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/radio_box-1.png)
![](https://kathrynlampo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/radio_box_cad.png)
My full paper can be found below. This work was later integrated into a publication in IEEE Aerospace.