GNSS and the Internet of Medical Things

From emergency caller localisation to monitoring senior citizens, according to the European GNSS Agency (GSA), space-based technologies are already improving our health and safety and are set to see increasing use in the near future.

Space solutions can play a significant role in addressing a number of key health and safety-related challenges currently facing society. From emergency caller location to the monitoring of elderly patients, Europe’s global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and Earth observation programmes – including Galileo, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) and Copernicus – are already having a substantial impact on our health and safety. Furthermore, according to the European GNSS Agency (GSA), their role will only increase in the near future.

For instance, one area where GNSS and medical technology are increasingly working together is in the Internet of Things (IoT) or, in this case, the ‘Internet of Medical Things’. According to semiconductor manufacturer ARM Director of Healthcare and Emerging Technologies Karthik Ranjan, accurate positioning data can enable better management of resources while also reducing costs.

Ranjan predicts that by 2020 we will see a “tsunami of healthcare devices” come to market, with around 1.5 billion personal sensors being used to monitor the continuum of health – including blood, sweat and urine analysis. “The combination of remote sensing and smartphone communication could help change behaviour and enable people to make better lifestyle choices,” he says.

He also predicts that such systems will reduce the need to visit a doctor or hospital for a vast majority of medical cases. “Sharing such health data as your glucose status for a diabetic with your trusted social networks can reduce costs and improve prevention of diabetic episodes,” he adds.

The silver lining

As Europe’s population continues to age, the so-called ‘Silver Economy’ will also be an impetus for the development of GNSS-enhanced medical and healthcare related devices and services. “Although we are living longer than ever before, we haven’t yet taken the necessary steps to ensure that these added years are healthy years,” says STMicroelectronics’ Mustapha Bouraoui. “What we need are solutions that promote autonomy, regular activity and general health for our senior citizens.”

Bouraoui believes that IoT will have a major impact here. For example, his company is currently involved with the Alliance for Internet of Things Innovation (AIOTI), an EU initiative aimed at building the European IoT ecosystem and one that the GSA is actively involved with. The AIOTI is already supporting some large-scale demonstrations, including five pilot projects on smart living environments for an ageing population and wearable devices for smart ecosystems.

Tracking for safety

Another area where GNSS can play an important role in the healthcare arena is with applications for tracking vulnerable people – such as those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. “Within the health and social care sectors, there is a need for the technology to be ‘invisible’, easy to use and cheap in order to enable universal safety and security for citizens,” says Satsafe Limited’s Stuart Millward. “Location-aware, multi-sensing devices could, for example, provide a radically lower cost monitoring solution for senior citizens and other vulnerable groups and has the potential to significantly reduce avoidable hospital admissions.”

An example of what these tracking devices could look like can be seen in what’s happening at Weenect. The company produces small devices that come with a smartphone app that allows for simultaneous tracking of up to four trackers. The service also establishes geo-fencing areas and alerts users if the tracked subject leaves the defined area. Some devices also include an ‘SOS’ button and voice call – a useful addition for senior citizens.

Mitigating natural disasters

In addition to their role in medical care and healthy living, GNSS and Earth observation are also having an impact on emergency response. This is particularly true when it comes to both mitigating against and responding to natural disasters. For example, the FP7 FLOODIS project has developed a cloud and mobile based flood information and management system. The project makes use of both Earth observation and EGNOS to provide an accurate disaster alert and information service, in particular for short-term flood forecasting. With the addition of Galileo in the near future, project coordinators look to add more fully integrated social media information in order to improve the system’s flood prediction models.

The FLOODIS approach is also being extended to other emergency scenarios via the Horizon 2020 I-REACT project.

Another example of the important role that European GNSS plays in emergency response can be found in the aviation sector. Here, EGNOS is helping emergency response helicopters fly into difficult conditions – thus saving more lives. The Pildo Labs’ 5 LIVES project is currently demonstrating Point in Space (PinS) procedures for helicopters using EGNOS’ robust positioning data in order to enable flight in almost all visibility conditions. The project intends to demonstrate the procedures in five specific scenarios: hospital emergency services, landing approaches in challenging (mountainous) environments, firefighting helicopters, maritime search and rescue, and emergency teams monitoring and helicopter EVAC.

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