Project Life Line

Maker Faire Bay Area 2026

September 25th-27th

Exhibit Arduino

During an active emergency—whether a structural fire or an active shooter—chaos and lack of visibility cost lives. Project Life Line is an intelligent, decentralized evacuation and threat-tracking system designed to seize control of a crisis. Powered by the dual-brain architecture of the Arduino Uno Q, the system uses thermal imaging arrays to actively track human heat signatures in zero-visibility environments.

Instead of a fragile central server, Life Line uses a resilient ESP32-S3 mesh network. If a threat is detected—like anomalous fire propagation or an active shooter moving through a hallway—the surviving nodes instantly recalculate paths. Using dynamic, floor-level WS2812 addressable LED strips, the system visually guides civilians *away* from the danger zone to the safest exit, while simultaneously using specific light patterns to lead law enforcement directly to the threat, or guiding paramedics straight to trapped individuals.

The Problem:
In high-stress emergencies like commercial fires or active shooter scenarios, traditional evacuation routes can inadvertently lead people into danger. First responders—police, paramedics, and security guards—often fly blind, relying on outdated floor plans and panicked 911 calls to locate threats or victims in smoke-filled or sprawling buildings.

The Solution & Technology:
Project Life Line solves this by bridging high-level Edge AI with low-level deterministic hardware control, turning the building itself into an active participant in the rescue effort.

1. The Dual-Brain Hub: At the core is the Arduino Uno Q (4GB/32GB). We leverage the Linux-side Qualcomm MPU to handle heavy compute workloads—running local AI models, processing thermal matrix data, and driving a diagnostic dashboard. Simultaneously, the STM32 MCU handles the exact-timing polling and hardware-level execution.
2. Thermal Vision & Threat Tracking: Instead of easily blinded optical cameras, we rely on I2C thermal arrays (MLX90640 and AMG8833). By running pattern recognition algorithms on the edge, the system distinguishes between a fire anomaly and a human heat signature. It maintains an active count of trapped individuals in pitch-black, smoke-filled rooms, tracking the movement of both civilians and potential threats (like an active shooter) in real-time.
3. Resilient Mesh Networking: An emergency system cannot have a single point of failure. We use a perimeter network of localized ESP32-S3 nodes utilizing ESP-NOW. If a fire or a shooter destroys a central hub or a specific corridor node, the surviving units automatically rewrite the mesh topology to ensure the system stays online and communicative.
4. Dynamic WS2812 Wayfinding & Responder Routing: Safety routing is executed via 12V WS2812 addressable LED strands embedded along baseboards. Using custom hardware logic bridging and level shifters, the system bypasses standard libraries to deliver raw, flicker-free data pulses. The LEDs dynamically change color and flow direction based on the user:
* Civilians: Green, flowing lights actively steer people away from thermal threats or shooter locations and toward the safest exit.
* Law Enforcement: Tactical red/blue pulsing lights lead SWAT or police directly to the isolated location of an active shooter.
* Paramedics & Security: Dedicated visual cues guide medical teams directly to rooms where the thermal sensors indicate people are immobilized or trapped, saving critical minutes.