An Internet of Things and Fuzzy Markup Language Based Approach to Prevent the Risk of Falling Object Accidents in the Execution Phase of Construction Projects

The Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm is establishing itself as a technology to improve data acquisition and information management in the construction field. It is consolidating as an emerging technology in all phases of the life cycle of projects and specifically in the execution phase of a construction project. One of the fundamental tasks in this phase is related to Health and Safety Management since the accident rate in this sector is very high compared to other phases or even sectors. For example, one of the most critical risks is falling objects due to the peculiarities of the construction process. Therefore, the integration of both technology and safety expert knowledge in this task is a key issue including ubiquitous computing, real-time decision capacity and expert knowledge management from risks with imprecise data. Starting from this vision, the goal of this paper is to introduce an IoT infrastructure integrated with JFML, an open-source library for Fuzzy Logic Systems according to the IEEE Std 1855-2016, to support imprecise experts’ decision making in facing the risk of falling objects. The system advises the worker of the risk level of accidents in real-time employing a smart wristband. The proposed IoT infrastructure has been tested in three different scenarios involving habitual working situations and characterized by different levels of falling objects risk. As assessed by an expert panel, the proposed system shows suitable results.This research was funded by University of Naples Federico II through the Finanziamento della Ricerca di Ateneo (FRA) 2020 (CUP: E69C20000380005) and has been partially supported by the ”Programa de ayuda para Estancias Breves en Centros de Investigación de Calidad” of the University of Málaga and the research project BIA2016-79270-P, the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the European Regional Development Fund-ERDF (Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional-FEDER) under project PGC2018-096156-B-I00 Recuperación y Descripción de Imágenes mediante Lenguaje Natural usando Técnicas de Aprendizaje Profundo y Computación Flexible and the Andalusian Government under Grant P18-RT-2248

A Flexible 2.45-GHz Power Harvesting Wristband with Net System Output from -24.3 dBm of RF Power

This paper presents a flexible 2.45-GHz wireless power harvesting wristband that generates a net dc output from a -24.3-dBm RF input. This is the lowest reported system sensitivity for systems comprising a rectenna and impedance-matching power management. A complete system has been implemented comprising: a fabric antenna, a rectifier on rigid substrate, a contactless electrical connection between rigid and flexible subsystems, and power electronics impedance matching. Various fabric and flexible materials are electrically characterized at 2.45 GHz using the two-line and the T-resonator methods. Selected materials are used to design an all-textile antenna, which demonstrates a radiation efficiency above 62% on a phantom irrespective of location, and a stable radiation pattern. The rectifier, designed on a rigid substrate, shows a best-in-class efficiency of 33.6% at -20 dBm. A reliable, efficient, and wideband contactless connection between the fabric antenna and the rectifier is created using broadside-coupled microstrip lines, with an insertion loss below 1 dB from 1.8 to over 10 GHz. A self-powered boost converter with a quiescent current of 150 nA matches the rectenna output with a matching efficiency above 95%. The maximum end-to-end efficiency is 28.7% at -7 dBm. The wristband harvester demonstrates net positive energy harvesting from -24.3 dBm, a 7.3-dB improvement on the state of the art.</p

Powering a Biosensor Using Wearable Thermoelectric Technology

Wearable medical devices such as insulin pumps, glucose monitors, hearing aids, and electrocardiograms provide necessary medical aid and monitoring to millions of users worldwide. These battery powered devices require battery replacement and frequent charging that reduces the freedom and peace of mind of users. Additionally, the significant portion of the world without access to electricity is unable to use these medical devices as they have no means to power them constantly. Wearable thermoelectric power generation aims to charge these medical device batteries without a need for grid power. Our team has developing a wristband prototype that uses body heat, ambient air, and heat sinks to create a temperature difference across thermoelectric modules thus generating ultra-low voltage electrical power. A boost converter is implemented to boost this voltage to the level required by medical device batteries. Our goal was to use this generated power to charge medical device batteries off-the-grid, increasing medical device user freedom and allowing medical device access to those without electricity. We successfully constructed a wearable prototype that generates the voltage required by an electrocardiogram battery; however, further thermoelectric module and heat dissipation optimization is necessary to generate sufficient current to charge the battery

RFID-based Hospital Real-time Patient Management System

In a health care context, the use RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology can be employed for not only bringing down health care costs but also facilitate automating and streamlining patient identification processes in hospitals and use of mobile devices like PDA, smart phones, for design a health care management systems. In this paper, we outline a RFID model for designing a system in the health care. An application of the architecture is described in the area of RFID-based Real-time Hospital Patien

A Flexible 2.45-GHz Power Harvesting Wristband with Net System Output from -24.3 dBm of RF Power

This is the final version. Available from IEEE via the DOI in this recordThis paper presents a flexible 2.45-GHz wireless power harvesting wristband that generates a net dc output from a -24.3-dBm RF input. This is the lowest reported system sensitivity for systems comprising a rectenna and impedance-matching power management. A complete system has been implemented comprising: a fabric antenna, a rectifier on rigid substrate, a contactless electrical connection between rigid and flexible subsystems, and power electronics impedance matching. Various fabric and flexible materials are electrically characterized at 2.45 GHz using the two-line and the T-resonator methods. Selected materials are used to design an all-textile antenna, which demonstrates a radiation efficiency above 62% on a phantom irrespective of location, and a stable radiation pattern. The rectifier, designed on a rigid substrate, shows a best-in-class efficiency of 33.6% at -20 dBm. A reliable, efficient, and wideband contactless connection between the fabric antenna and the rectifier is created using broadside-coupled microstrip lines, with an insertion loss below 1 dB from 1.8 to over 10 GHz. A self-powered boost converter with a quiescent current of 150 nA matches the rectenna output with a matching efficiency above 95%. The maximum end-to-end efficiency is 28.7% at -7 dBm. The wristband harvester demonstrates net positive energy harvesting from -24.3 dBm, a 7.3-dB improvement on the state of the art.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC

Using Radio Frequency Identification Technology In Healthcare

In the healthcare industry, medical treatment can be a matter of life and death, so that any mistakes may cause irreversible consequences. As hospitals have sought to reduce these types of errors, Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) has become a solution in the healthcare industry to address these problems. Since 2005, RFID has generated a lot of interest in healthcare to make simpler the identification process for tracking and managing medical resources to improve their use and to reduce the need for future costs for purchasing duplicate equipment. There are rising concerns linked to the privacy and security issues, when RFID tags are used for tracking items carried by people. A tag by its design will respond to a reader\u27s query without the owner\u27s consent and without the owner even noticing it. When RFID tags contain patients\u27 personal data and medical history, they have to be protected to avoid any leaking of privacy-sensitive information. To address these concerns, we propose an Intelligent RFID System which is a RFID card system that embeds smart tags in insurance cards, medical charts, and medical bracelets to store medical information. Patient data is sent to the insurance providers by way of a clearinghouse that translates the information from the healthcare facility into a format that the insurance company can process. To ensure data protection, an additional security layer was added to secure the communication between the tags and the readers. This security layer will allow only authorized readers to poll tags for the patient\u27s medical tags and prevent unauthorized access to tag data. It will simplify the maintenance and transfer of patient data in a secure, feasible and cost effective way

What Lies Beneath: Unraveling the Generative Mechanisms of Smart Technology and Service Design

The rapid digitalization of products and services has given rise to smart, technological products and services in various industries. While researchers recognize the complexity of digital components embedded in smart services, there exists scarce research on the evolution of product development, smart technology’s use, and the mechanisms wherein changes in products and services are triggered and implemented. In this research, grounded on the theoretical basis of layered modular architecture, we study a digital venture in an event management industry and offer a substantive look at the three mechanisms—system-environment fitness, data exploitation, and user expansion—that are responsible for transforming smart technology from a conceptual idea into a real product and from a simple digital device into an integrated smart system. Our research findings offer theoretical insight into the dynamics and fluidity of mechanisms that are relevant to smart technology’s design, use, and outcomes