The Avanza Lobin project focuses on the applicability of sensor networks to security scenarios, complementing other Gradiant projects related to sensor networks, such as REEFS, in the search for the consolidation of excellence networks.
Potentially, it is a project that can open the door to exploitable products based on sensor networks, and the project objectives include:
Monitoring the state of the art and standardization of wireless technologies applicable to sensor networks, with a particular focus on IEEE802.15.4 and Zigbee environments.
Specification, solution search, and integration of sensorization systems of interest for the proposed scenarios: presence, acoustics, biometric data of people, etc.
Design and implementation of energy management mechanisms for the hardware platform.
Design and development of reactive routing mechanisms with an emphasis on low energy consumption and redundancy capabilities.
Localization using sensor networks.
Specification and certification requirements for devices in security environments.
Development of an unattended sensor network prototype.
The LOBIN project (Localization and Biomonitoring through Wireless Networks in Hospital Environments) is aimed at undertaking a series of research lines in the design of a hardware/software platform capable of supporting localization and biomonitoring applications in healthcare environments. “Smart materials” are a new generation of components derived from nanotechnology and composites. This new generation of materials offers a high potential in the design and development of new products, whose properties can be controlled and customized, enabling personalized interaction with the end user and applications across various industries.
The main objective of the LOBIN project is the development of a biomonitoring and patient localization platform for hospital settings. This basic structure for localization and biomonitoring will be based on the use of “smart” t-shirts (washable, reusable) with integrated e-textile sensors capable of wirelessly transmitting an ECG, respiration, temperature, relative position (resting, standing), physical activity index, and spatial position. Communication will be done through a wireless mesh network, based on the Zigbee wireless communication standard for short-range, low power, and cost-efficient devices. Additionally, a Secure Information Network System will be designed and validated to monitor patients and represent their real-time location visually on a map of the center. The system will include supplementary tools, such as alarms in case of patient movement outside the physical boundaries of the center, continuous ECG recording, and real-time detection of rhythmological events (arrhythmias, bradycardias, tachycardias, fibrillation, etc.).
The developed prototype will be significant for opening a new line of work, which, although currently focused on patient monitoring, can easily be adapted to other needs and scenarios, as the technology and applications to be developed will have a high degree of reuse. This strategic approach is important in enabling SIMAVE to consolidate key business areas, such as ubiquity, patient and resource management, etc. Additionally, this project will mark the beginning of collaboration between SIMAVE, Nlaza, and NUUBO, opening a highly important line of work for all three. It will also foster knowledge and technology transfer between the R&D centers and the three developing companies, ultimately improving citizens’ quality of life and bringing the Information Society closer to a broader public.
