Application examples for biomedical engineering outside the direct medical environment
TrackWear: Trackside Working Wearables holding Warning Actuators
Railway infrastructure managers are often faced with residents' complaints because of the noise of track warning systems that ensure workers' safety. An alternative approach is to equip persons working in a hazardous environment with devices (satellites) to produce warning signals like sound, light, and vibration in different intensities. They transmit the wearer's location to a central unit (coordinator), which triggers warnings as soon as a threat is recognized (e.g., approaching train) or the person is entering a potentially hazardous area. The satellite can connect to other body-worn actuators that can emit additional warning signals like vibration or electrical sensory stimulation.
Partners:
Die Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft FFG
Rail Expert Consult GmbH
Spath Micro Electronic Design GmbH
Evaluation of the personal level of arousal (stress measurement)
Many chronic diseases show connections to chronic stress. But despite the importance of stress research, it is difficult to measure non-invasive a person's level of stress continuously. Approaches to use skin conductance (electrodermal activity) are evaluated and combined with other easy to access bio-parameters like heart rate variability to get new insights into stress impact.
Biofeedback
In long-standing cooperation with Insight Instruments, a modular, miniaturized system to access bio-parameters was developed. It is continuously improved and extended, using the latest components, technology, and research results.