WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK (WSN) BASED AUTOMATIC FIRING PRACTICE SYSTEM (AFPS) FOR TRAINING OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES (LEAS)

Abstract

The critical importance of an efficient infantryman in special operations force, tactical paramilitary and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) is insurmountable. One of the many vital aspects of an effective solider is excellent marksmanship which requires extensive training at sophisticated firing ranges. Modern firing ranges are supported by Automatic Firing Practice Systems (AFPS) and this paper presents the design and development of such a system based on WSN. AFPS provide an automatic bullet-impact count during firing training session and is modular scalable in design for multiple of eight concurrent shooters. The system is versatile and flexible allowing for different small-arms and firing training modes and supports night firing exercise. AFPS comprises of two major components, the automatic target-box and a commander console. Automatic target-box has a motor & gear assembly, target sheet, bullet-impact sensor, control board, and WiFi communication module. Commander console is a ruggedized sunlight readable 10.4” Tablet PC, which with a built-in WiFi acts an access point. The automatic target-boxes equipped with embedded WiFi modules form sensor nodes of a WSN. The paper presents the complete System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) of the firing practice system and associated WSN. The AFPS and bullet-impact sensor was extensively tested on Firing Ranges for accuracy of bullet-impact count. The results showed a bulletimpact count accuracy of over 97 percent.