SBIR Phase II: Biometric IoT system for First Responders

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是通过实时生物识别监控系统和配套的分析工具减少因消防过度劳累和热紧张而造成的伤害和成本。该系统收集每个消防员的生命体征，并将数据发送给授权指挥官，以进行实时战略决策。通过获得对生命至关重要的信息，指挥官可以在紧急情况下对关键资源的分配做出明智的决定。每年有100多万名消防员冒着生命危险保护他人。在灭火中，几乎60%的死亡是由过度劳累和压力引起的，这会导致心脏病发作和其他严重的医疗问题。每年约有7万人在火灾中受伤，相关费用每年总计超过70亿美元。建议的项目将通过研究和开发以下组件来提高急救员的职业安全：1)改进的生物特征采集可穿戴设备；2)生物特征监测系统使用的软件；3)位置监测工具；4)用于估计睡眠质量、疲劳和某些疾病症状的算法，以及改进的体力和核心体温估计。5)网络改进解决方案，允许偏远地区的急救人员使用生物特征监测工具。所有五个目标都将由多项试验性研究组成，正在进行的研究和开发将纳入来自最终用户的重要反馈。预计该项目的结果将显示消防员受伤的显著减少，为合作消防和紧急服务的明确投资回报铺平道路。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to reduce injuries and costs due to overexertion and heat strain in firefighting through a real-time, biometric monitoring system and accompanying analysis tools. This system collects each firefighter's vital signs and sends the data to authorized commanders for real-time strategic decision-making. By receiving access to life-critical information, commanders can make informed decisions on the allocation of key resources during the hectic scene of an emergency. Every year over one million firefighters risk their lives to protect others. Almost 60% of the deaths in firefighting are caused by overexertion and stress, which can induce heart attacks as well as other serious medical issues. Around 70,000 firefighting injuries occur each year, and associated costs total over $7 billion annually. The proposed system can be easily adapted to serve other first responders, such as military personnel, industrial workers, and others with occupational risk.The proposed project will improve the occupational safety of first responders through the research and development of the following components: 1) An improved biometric collection wearable; 2) software used by the biometric monitoring system; 3) a location-monitoring tool; 4) algorithms to estimate sleep quality, fatigue, and detect symptoms for certain diseases, and improve exertion and core-body temperature estimates. 5) network improvement solutions allowing first responders in remote areas to utilize biometric monitoring tools. All five objectives will consist of multiple pilot studies with ongoing research and development that will incorporate crucial feedback from end-users. It is expected that the outcomes of this project will demonstrate a significant reduction in firefighter injuries, paving the way for a clear return on investment for partnering fire and emergency services.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.