Small, smart devices collecting, interpreting, transmitting biometric data reliably to those who need it in a form they can use.
Issues:
When elite athletes become fatigued their competitive edge may be lost. In Emergency Services and Defence, fatigue may be fatal. Monitoring human performance is critical to ensure safety and peak competitive output. Coaches and commanders need to monitor personnel in training and in the field, and to have instant feedback on performance.
At present, athletes and soldiers are monitored under special laboratory conditions, have data returned to base after several days of logging, and may fill out surveys to determine their own performance. Coaches and commanders want real-time feedback of performance: the challenge is to interpret, transmit and display the information.
What will this research achieve?
BANESH will develop small, smart devices which collect, interpret and transmit, biometric data reliably to those who need it in a form they can use, when they need it. The development of wearable and implantable devices allows new opportunities to monitor and analyze the biometric status of humans in a range of unrestricted natural activities and environments. BANESH collects data from small inexpensive sensors, transforming data into useful information:Data processing: Smart processing algorithms combine the sensor data to detect patterns such as fatigue. Creating such algorithms is the task of the Machine Learning sub-group. The data from sensors is combined to determine measures of fatigue and group-wide (macro) performance using distributed and heterogenous inference algorithms.
Transmit: The meaningful information is transmitted back to coaches wirelessly, in a time frame that ensures the data is up-to-the-minute. NICTA’s expertise in wireless signal processing, radio engineering and network design will be combined to produce programmable, software-defined local networks operating on ultra-low power.
Display: At the coach's end, the information must be understandable and useful in assisting decisions. This requires prioritizing based upon what is happening and the user's needs. This employs NICTA's expertise in cognitive and context aware presentation. NICTA’s cognitive measurement group is known to be amongst the best in the world.
Why NICTA?
NICTA's value add is interpreting the raw data from inexpensive sensors to create useful information; and providing this information where and when it is needed. This process requires wide expertise in information communication technology - which is unique to NICTA. BANESH will collect biometric data (such as heart rate) from sensors, filter this through algorithms to extract particular patterns (such as fatigue), transmit the data (using wireless networks) to commanders where it will be adapted and presented in a meaningful manner.
Our breadth of research capabilities and strong contact with users distinguishes us from most competitors. Long-term research for BANESH lies in developing a “hot-swappable” embedded system which can be reliably updated online. The core – incorporating the machine intelligence wireless systems and data presentation – will all be software defined: allowing downloadable upgrades. The platform may then permit non-core programmers (e.g Open Source) to provide extensions.
NICTA partnerships
NICTA is forming collaborations with technology-users and technology-manufacturers, in addition to research institutes. This ensures our research has maximum national and international impact. We have an umbrella agreement with the Australian Institute of Sport, with specific project agreements. We have an umbrella agreement with DSTO.
The BANESH Team
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Project Leader: Dr Leif Hanlen Research Staff
Engineering Staff
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Project Publications
- Iterative (Turbo) Joint Channel Estimation and Signal Detection for Quadrature OFDMA Systems, Luo, Lin and Zhang, Jian (Andrew) and Shi, Zhenning, in proceedings, PIMRC, 2008
- Reduced rank equalization for precoded OFDM systems, Zhang, Jian (Andrew) in proceedings, PIMRC, 2008
- Digital-PLL Assisted Frequency Estimation with Improved Error Variance Sithamparanathan, Kandeepan in proceedings GLOBECOM, 2008
- Steady State Distribution of a Hyperbolic Digital TanLock Loop with Extended Pull-in Range for Frequency Synchronization in High Doppler Environment Sithamparanathan, Kandeepan, IEEE Transactions on Communications, 2008
- Quadrature OFDMA Systems Based on Layered FFT Structure, Zhang, Jian (Andrew) and Luo, Lin and Shi, Zhenning, IEEE Transactions on Communications, 2008
- Neuro-wireless technology for neural prostheses: by-passing damaged of malfunctioning nerves by means of wireless transmission, Sithamparanathan, Kandeepan in proceedings, 2nd International Symposium on Medical Information and Communication Technology (ISMICT'07), 2007