Monitoring

There's no shortage of baby monitors out there, even high-tech ones. Previously we've seen devices which let parents check on their little ones using an iPhone or iPad, and others which swivel to track them, wherever they are. But designer Denny Tsai thinks he's come up with something unique – a baby monitor which is fitted into a cot mobile.  Read More

In order to assess the severity of epileptic seizures, patients are typically required to have electrodes placed on their scalps, which are then wired into an electroencephalograph (EEG) system. Needless to say, this requires them to be at a hospital, and remain there until a seizure occurs. Scientists from MIT, however, have developed what could be a much more user-friendly alternative – a seizure-monitoring wrist sensor that is worn by patients as they go about their day-to-day lives. Not only has it been shown to measure severity as accurately as EEGs, but it could also let patients know when to seek post-seizure medical attention.  Read More

The monitoring of air quality can be a tricky business. Gases may be blown into the sampling site from another area, they may leak out of an air sample before it can be analyzed, or the sampling container itself may introduce compounds, emitted through off-gassing. If samples are being gathered in remote areas, it can also be difficult getting bulky equipment to and from the sampling site. Now, scientists from Sandia National Laboratories have announced a tiny new type of air sampler, that addresses these and other challenges.  Read More

A graphene sensor effectively tattooed onto a tooth can be used to detect bacteria and so wirelessly monitor oral health, research has shown. Graphene printed onto water-soluble silk can be "bio-transferred" onto organic materials such as tooth enamel. By incorporating antimicrobial peptides and a resonant coil, individual bacteria cells can be detected without need of an onboard power supply or wired connections.  Read More

Although it was released in the UK last year, American consumers can now also get their mitts on the Smart Baby Monitor. Made by French company Withings, the monitor allows parents to check on their little ‘uns via their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. The word “smart” in its name refers to the fact that it contains not only a camera, but also sensors that detect sound, movement, temperature and humidity levels. So in other words, it’s a smart baby monitor, and not a monitor that’s designed specifically for use with smart babies – as far as we know, it’s compatible with babies of any level of intelligence.  Read More

While smartphones are awesome little computers, one of the things that really makes them useful is their built-in sensors – many apps are made possible via a phone’s accelerometer, gyroscope, GPS, microphone, camera, or some combination of the bunch. The thing is, though, all of those sensors are stuck in the smartphone. What if you want to use your phone to monitor another device? Well, that’s where NODE comes in. The proposed gadget could be placed on or near a device, and would wirelessly relay data from multiple onboard sensors, via Bluetooth.  Read More

In an effort to save the world's oceans from overfishing, many countries now require commercial fishing vessels to bring along an observer, who checks that the crew aren't exceeding their catch limits. That observer takes up cabin space on the boat, however, plus they require a salary, and probably aren't made to feel particularly welcome by the crew members. This month, however, a Spanish purse seiner became the world's first tropical tuna-fishing vessel to try out something different - an electronic monitoring system. Designed by Archipelago Marine Research, the EM Observe system is already in regular use in the company's home province of British Columbia, Canada.  Read More

Current monitoring of large structures such as bridges, wind turbines and mines generally relies on time consuming visual inspections that use specialized instrumentation and equipment. Translation: it's expensive. But if damage can be detected before any structural damage occurs, maintenance bills can also be significantly reduced and safety increased. Researchers at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow are tackling the issue with a smart paint they claim not only detects microscopic faults before structural damage occurs, but does so at a cost of just one percent of current widely used inspection methods.  Read More

You don’t need to be an expert in occupational safety to know that worker fatigue is one of the leading causes of workplace accidents – this particularly applies to people who operate heavy machinery or drive for a living. While it would be great if all employees simply took a break when fatigue started setting in, it can sometimes be difficult for people to tell just how tired they really are. That, or they decide that they just want to push through and get the job done, drowsiness be damned. A relatively new invention from Australia’s EdanSafe, however, takes the guesswork out of the picture. It’s called the SmartCap, and it measures employee fatigue in real time by monitoring its wearer’s brain waves.  Read More