Integrating sensing systems for ongoing monitoring of individual and population health

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The Internet of Things (IoT) and industrial IoT rely on increasing connectivity of devices and sensors, leading to monitoring capabilities for a vast array of applications that range from personal fitness to industrial process and control. This also creates opportunities to develop new sensors for key applications, where the ability to continuously collect and analyze data permits early identification of trends and intervention prior to development of critical scenarios. For example, detecting changes in hydration in older adults may allow serious underlying medical conditions to be flagged early. This requires ongoing, non-invasive sensing of individuals, however an appropriate monitoring approach is not yet available. Preliminary work by our team suggests that microwave signals have potential as an innovative sensing solution, however there is a need to translate this initial work into a practical system. A second application is monitoring animal health, which has gained traction particularly for timing reproduction. However, there is significant scope for innovative sensing technologies that provide new data to assist in the management of herds of large animals. Microwave signals have the potential to provide feedback on the health of extremities, which impacts, for example, dairy production. When combined with machine learning techniques, these sensors have the potential to identify emerging conditions in groups of animals. Again, our initial feasibility studies require translation into practical sensors and integrated systems suitable for deployment in livestock operations. Therefore, the overall goal of this proposal is to define integrated systems, ranging from sensors to data collection and analysis, for hydration and animal health monitoring. This synthesizes expertise from our existing research programs, including sensor and algorithm development, communications protocols, biometric technologies, and data analysis with machine learning. Our collaborators with expertise in hydration and animal health ensure that the technology solutions are informed by the specific requirements of the end-users. This positions us effectively for next-stage funding, as well as technology translation through either licensing or start-up companies.