Iridium Communications Team: Addie Hannan, Helen Albright, Ana Rodriguez Gonzalez, Theobesta Tefera
2022-2023: In collaboration with Iridium, this student team designed a satellite communications system for vehicles beyond the reach of cellular connectivity. The goal of the project was to provide recreational off-roaders in particular with an affordable back-up satellite communication system to connect with emergency services, roadside assistance, or personal contacts in regions with no cellular coverage.
After determining the key design requirements and then generating and evaluating initial concepts, the team selected a system design to pursue: a dashboard-mounted device with a physical SOS button that is predominantly controlled via a mobile app. The proof-of-concept device leveraged the Iridium GO! internals and a magnetic mount antenna for satellite connectivity, plus the car’s OBD port for power. In an iterative process, the team assembled and powered the system, designed and fabricated the mounting enclosure, and programmed the app to include SOS location sharing and text messages. The team verified the proof-of-concept system in a vehicle and delivered their design recommendations to Iridium for future consideration.