13-04-2012, 10:47 AM
Providing a cushion for wireless healthcare application development
19.pdf (Size: 2.73 MB / Downloads: 37)
Recent advances in the electronics industry and
wireless communication have enabled the evolution
of innovative application domains. Smaller
embedded processors and systems have allowed
a new level of mobile communication and interaction
in everyday life. In particular, the expansion of
broadband wireless services and the advancement
of handheld technology have allowed for real-time
patient monitoring in locations where not previously
possible. Low-cost sensors and wireless systems
can now create a constantly vigilant and pervasive
monitoring capability at home, work, and in conventional
point-of-care environments (e.g., primary
care physician offices,
Have a PoSeat
To demonstrate the system design and
the implementation of a typical wireless
healthcare application, we present the development
of the PoSeat, a smart seat
cushion for chronic back pain prevention.
As reported by CNN, back pain affects
80% of Americans at some time in their
lives, and it is the single most expensive
problem for working adults: 31% of all
workers compensation dollars are for
lower back pain, as reported by Herman
Miller Inc.
Remote server design
The communication between the mobile
device and the remote server uses
Web services, a communication framework
designed to support interoperable
machine-to-machine interaction over a
network. The communication between
the Web service server and client is
through Simple Object Access Protocol
(SOAP), which sends and receives XML
messages via HTTP.
Conclusion and future work
We have presented an infrastructure for
a typical wireless healthcare application—a
smart cushion for back pain prevention.
Many other interesting applications can
be developed based on similar frameworks.
For instance, the NikeiPod sport
kit can be simply implemented by integrating
the on-cushion circuitries into the insole
of the shoes.