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Theory, Design and Prototyping of Wearable Electronics and Computing

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A special issue of Computers (ISSN 2073-431X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2017) | Viewed by 86636

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Subhas Mukhopadhyay

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
Interests: smart sensors; sensing technology; WSN; IoT; ICT; smart grid; energy harvesting
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The increase in world population along with a significant ageing proportion, forces rapid rise in healthcare cost. The healthcare system is going through a transformation in which continuous monitoring of inhabitants is possible even without hospitalization. The advancement of sensing technology, embedded system, wireless communication technology, nano-technology, and miniaturization make it possible to develop smart systems to monitor human activities continuously. The developed wearable sensors monitor physiological parameters along with other symptoms to decide whether any abnormal and/or unforeseen situation arises. This crucial help can be provided at times of dire need. This Special Issue will review and report the latest systems on activity monitoring based on wearable sensors, and relevant issues that need to be addressed to tackle the challenges faced.

Prof. Subhas Chandra Mukhopadhyay
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

wearable sensors
wearable computing
smart sensors
sensor networks
wireless sensor networks
body sensor networks
body area networks
activity monitoring
assisted living
smart home
physiological parameters monitoring

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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7499 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Body-Borne Computers as Extensions of Self

by Sang-won Leigh, Harpreet Sareen, Hsin-Liu (Cindy) Kao, Xin Liu and Pattie Maes

Computers 2017, 6(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers6010012 - 09 Mar 2017

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 11280

Abstract

The opportunities for wearable technologies go well beyond always-available information displays or health sensing devices. The concept of the cyborg introduced by Clynes and Kline, along with works in various fields of research and the arts, offers a vision of what technology integrated with the body can offer. This paper identifies different categories of research aimed at augmenting humans. The paper specifically focuses on three areas of augmentation of the human body and its sensorimotor capabilities: physical morphology, skin display, and somatosensory extension. We discuss how such digital extensions relate to the malleable nature of our self-image. We argue that body-borne devices are no longer simply functional apparatus, but offer a direct interplay with the mind. Finally, we also showcase some of our own projects in this area and shed light on future challenges. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theory, Design and Prototyping of Wearable Electronics and Computing)

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2363 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Traffic Priority-Aware Adaptive Slot Allocation for Medium Access Control Protocol in Wireless Body Area Network

by Fasee Ullah, Abdul Hanan Abdullah, Omprakash Kaiwartya and Marina Md Arshad

Computers 2017, 6(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers6010009 - 20 Feb 2017

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 9022

Abstract

Biomedical sensors (BMSs) monitor the heterogeneous vital signs of patients. They have diverse Quality of Service (QoS) requirements including reduced collision, delay, loss, and energy consumption in the transmission of data, which are non-constrained, delay-constrained, reliabilityconstrained, and critical. In this context, this paper proposes a traffic priority-aware adaptive slot allocation-based medium access control (TraySL-MAC) protocol. Firstly, a reduced contention adaptive slot allocation algorithm is presented to minimize contention rounds. Secondly, a low threshold vital signs criticality-based adaptive slot allocation algorithm is developed for high priority data. Thirdly, a high threshold vital signs criticality-based adaptive slot allocation algorithm is designed for low priority data. Simulations are performed to comparatively evaluate the performance of the proposed protocol with state-of-the-art MAC protocols. From the analysis of the results, it is evident that the proposed protocol is beneficial in terms of lower packet delivery delay and energy consumption, and higher throughput in realistic biomedical environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theory, Design and Prototyping of Wearable Electronics and Computing)

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5297 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Static Human Detection and Scenario Recognition via Wearable Thermal Sensing System

by Qingquan Sun, Ju Shen, Haiyan Qiao, Xinlin Huang, Chen Chen and Fei Hu

Computers 2017, 6(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers6010003 - 20 Jan 2017

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 8662

Abstract

Conventional wearable sensors are mainly used to detect the physiological and activity information of individuals who wear them, but fail to perceive the information of the surrounding environment. This paper presents a wearable thermal sensing system to detect and perceive the information of surrounding human subjects. The proposed system is developed based on a pyroelectric infrared sensor. Such a sensor system aims to provide surrounding information to blind people and people with weak visual capability to help them adapt to the environment and avoid collision. In order to achieve this goal, a low-cost, low-data-throughput binary sampling and analyzing scheme is proposed. We also developed a conditioning sensing circuit with a low-noise signal amplifier and programmable system on chip (PSoC) to adjust the amplification gain. Three statistical features in information space are extracted to recognize static humans and human scenarios in indoor environments. The results demonstrate that the proposed wearable thermal sensing system and binary statistical analysis method are efficient in static human detection and human scenario perception. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theory, Design and Prototyping of Wearable Electronics and Computing)

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578 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Non-Invasive Sensor Technology for the Development of a Dairy Cattle Health Monitoring System

by Amruta Awasthi, Anshul Awasthi, Daniel Riordan and Joseph Walsh

Computers 2016, 5(4), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers5040023 - 12 Oct 2016

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 18900

Abstract

The intention of this research is to establish a relationship between dairy cattle diseases with various non-invasive sensors for the development of a health monitoring system. This paper expands on the conference paper titled “Sensor technology for animal health monitoring” published in the International Journal on Smart Sensing and Intelligent Systems (s2is) for the proceedings of International Conference on Sensing Technology (ICST) 2014. This paper studies and explores particular characteristics of dairy cattle’s health and behavioural symptoms. The aim is to consider the nature of the diseases a cow may have and relate it with one or many sensors that are suitable for accurate measurement of the behavioural changes. The research uses ontological relationship mapping or ontology matching to integrate heterogeneous databases of diseases and sensors and explains it in detail. This study identifies the sensors needed to determine illnesses in a dairy cow and how they would be beneficial for the development of non-invasive, wearable, smart, dairy cattle health monitoring system to be placed on the cows’ neck. It also explains how the primary sensors identified by this research can be used to forecast cattle health in a simple, basic manner. The scope of this paper is limited to the discussion about the non-invasive, wearable sensors that are needed to determine the cattle diseases. We focused only on non-invasive sensors because they are easy to install on cows and no training is required for them to be installed as compared to invasive sensors. Development of such a system and its evaluation is not in the scope of this paper and is left for our next paper. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theory, Design and Prototyping of Wearable Electronics and Computing)

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9330 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A University-Based Smart and Context Aware Solution for People with Disabilities (USCAS-PWD)

by Ghassan Kbar, Mustufa Haider Abidi, Syed Hammad Mian, Ahmad A. Al-Daraiseh and Wathiq Mansoor

Computers 2016, 5(3), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers5030018 - 29 Jul 2016

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 9793

Abstract

(1) Background: A disabled student or employee in a certain university faces a large number of obstacles in achieving his/her ordinary duties. An interactive smart search and communication application can support the people at the university campus and Science Park in a number of ways. Primarily, it can strengthen their professional network and establish a responsive eco-system. Therefore, the objective of this research work is to design and implement a unified flexible and adaptable interface. This interface supports an intensive search and communication tool across the university. It would benefit everybody on campus, especially the People with Disabilities (PWDs). (2) Methods: In this project, three main contributions are presented: (A) Assistive Technology (AT) software design and implementation (based on user- and technology-centered design); (B) A wireless sensor network employed to track and determine user’s location; and (C) A novel event behavior algorithm and movement direction algorithm used to monitor and predict users’ behavior and intervene with them and their caregivers when required. (3) Results: This work has developed a comprehensive and universal application with a unified, flexible, and adaptable interface to support the different conditions of PWDs. It has employed an interactive smart based-location service for establishing a smart university Geographic Information System (GIS) solution. This GIS solution has been based on tracking location service, mobility, and wireless sensor network technologies. (4) Conclusion: The proposed system empowered inter-disciplinary interaction between management, staff, researchers, and students, including the PWDs. Identifying the needs of the PWDs has led to the determination of the relevant requirements for designing and implementing a unified flexible and adaptable interface suitable for PWDs on the university campus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theory, Design and Prototyping of Wearable Electronics and Computing)

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Review

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1464 KiB

Open AccessReview

Wearable Food Intake Monitoring Technologies: A Comprehensive Review

by Tri Vu, Feng Lin, Nabil Alshurafa and Wenyao Xu

Computers 2017, 6(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers6010004 - 24 Jan 2017

Cited by 118 | Viewed by 15927

Abstract

Wearable devices monitoring food intake through passive sensing is slowly emerging to complement self-reporting of users’ caloric intake and eating behaviors. Though the ultimate goal for the passive sensing of eating is to become a reliable gold standard in dietary assessment, it is currently showing promise as a means of validating self-report measures. Continuous food-intake monitoring allows for the validation and refusal of users’ reported data in order to obtain more reliable user information, resulting in more effective health intervention services. Recognizing the importance and strength of wearable sensors in food intake monitoring, there has been a variety of approaches proposed and studied in recent years. While existing technologies show promise, many challenges and opportunities discussed in this survey, still remain. This paper presents a meticulous review of the latest sensing platforms and data analytic approaches to solve the challenges of food-intake monitoring, ranging from ear-based chewing and swallowing detection systems that capture eating gestures to wearable cameras that identify food types and caloric content through image processing techniques. This paper focuses on the comparison of different technologies and approaches that relate to user comfort, body location, and applications for medical research. We identify and summarize the forthcoming opportunities and challenges in wearable food intake monitoring technologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theory, Design and Prototyping of Wearable Electronics and Computing)

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2061 KiB

Open AccessReview

Ambient Technology to Assist Elderly People in Indoor Risks

by Rami Yared and Bessam Abdulrazak

Computers 2016, 5(4), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers5040022 - 10 Oct 2016

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 11977

Abstract

While elderly people perform their daily indoor activities, they are subjected to several risks. To improve the quality of life of elderly people and promote healthy aging and independent living, elderly people need to be provided with an assistive technology platform to rely on during their activities. We reviewed the literature and identified the major indoor risks addressed by assistive technology that elderly people face during their indoor activities. In this paper, we identify these risks as: fall, wrong self-medication management, fire, burns, intoxication by gas/smoke, and the risk of inactivity. In addition, we discuss the existing assistive technology systems and classify the risk detection algorithms, techniques and the basic system principles and interventions to enhance safety of elderly people. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theory, Design and Prototyping of Wearable Electronics and Computing)

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