Through our development of the Social Distancing Bluetooth Beacon last semester, one of our greatest concerns was that the RSSI distance calculations would be too inaccurate. We alleviated this to a degree with averaging, but we still encounter major issues beyond 4 ft. Averaging simply means we collect and average 5-10 samples of data before making any calculations from the readings, and the enhanced precision is well worth the split-second delay trade off.

Thus, we decided to develop a secondary prototype that employs ultrasonic hardware rather than Bluetooth capability. This device allows us to demonstrate exactly how we want our final product to operate, increasing user alerts at shorter distances. We fitted our design into a compact, keycard-shaped harness attached to a lanyard, ideal for our intent to use in a business setting.

However, the obvious drawback of the ultrasonic sensor is that it cannot differentiate between objects. This also means that this method of measuring distance could be used by an individual, whereas the Bluetooth beacons require multiple users for activation.