Research Center Advances Work on Smart Environments
December 14, 2015 | Washington State UniversityEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Someday, your phone may be so smart that it alerts you to get a decaf as you head to Starbucks, since you’ve already drunk five caffeinated cups of coffee that day. And sensors in your body may alert you to low insulin levels or the need for a deep drink of water.
These are some of the possibilities being explored in the Smart Environments Research Center (SERC) on Washington State University’s Pullman campus. Diane Cook’s successful smart home research was the impetus for the center, which was conceptualized two years ago by Cook and her husband, fellow researcher Larry Holder.
The work on smart homes is in the commercialization process, and the center is helping Cook and other researchers successfully navigate the many stages of preparing a product for market.
Smart homes for the aging
Smart home research is primarily focused on helping aging people remain longer in their own houses. Sensors prompt homeowners to remember tasks like turning off the oven, shutting the door or taking medication. Sensors also recognize normal motion and behavior and can alert authorities in case of a fall or medical emergency.
“I don’t care where you are in the world, nobody wants to leave their homes when they age,” Holder said. “And if you can keep someone out of assisted care, you can save society a lot of money.”
The smart home research, combined with growing emphasis on smart systems across WSU, led to creation of the SERC. The goal was to expand smart technology to any environment: a home, a community – even a human body.
Systems learn, react, extrapolate
A system is “smart” if it can make decisions with minimum human involvement. Researchers can teach a system to make decisions by inputting training data, which tells the system how to react in certain situations. From there, the system can extrapolate how it should behave.
“You don’t have to code this system,” Holder said. “A smart system will do that on its own.”
This can apply on larger and smaller scales. Hassan Ghazemzadeh, one of the SERC researchers, specializes in body sensors. Sensors on a human body will prompt a person to do something – like take a walk, drink water or some other behavior – aimed at keeping that person healthy.
Body sensors, smart farms
One of the benefits to working in the center is the opportunity for collaboration, which allows for bigger and better research projects, Holder said.
He said there is potential for smart systems to be used inside the body; for example, in treating patients with diabetes. In theory, a smart system located on or inside a person’s body could identify when insulin levels are low and release insulin into the bloodstream.
SERC researchers are hoping to work with colleagues in agriculture to develop smart farms that would use sensors to optimize animal and plant health.
The center is also training others about smart environments, something it hopes to expand in the future. This semester, a group from Saudi Arabia learned about smart homes.
Suggested Items
Lockheed Martin Australia, The Department Of Defence Sign Strategic Partnership Head Contract
04/26/2024 | Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin Australia signed a landmark AUD$500 million contract with the Department of Defence to build Australia’s future Joint Air Battle Management System under project - AIR6500 Phase 1 (AIR6500-1).
Cadence, TSMC Collaborate on Wide-Ranging Innovations to Transform System and Semiconductor Design
04/25/2024 | Cadence Design SystemsCadence Design Systems, Inc. and TSMC have extended their longstanding collaboration by announcing a broad range of innovative technology advancements to accelerate design, including developments ranging from 3D-IC and advanced process nodes to design IP and photonics.
Siemens’ Breakthrough Veloce CS Transforms Emulation and Prototyping with Three Novel Products
04/24/2024 | Siemens Digital Industries SoftwareSiemens Digital Industries Software launched the Veloce™ CS hardware-assisted verification and validation system. In a first for the EDA (Electronic Design Automation) industry, Veloce CS incorporates hardware emulation, enterprise prototyping and software prototyping and is built on two highly advanced integrated circuits (ICs) – Siemens’ new, purpose-built Crystal accelerator chip for emulation and the AMD Versal™ Premium VP1902 FPGA adaptive SoC (System-on-a-chip) for enterprise and software prototyping.
Taiyo Circuit Automation Installs New DP3500 into Fuba Printed Circuits, Tunisia
04/25/2024 | Taiyo Circuit AutomationTaiyo Circuit Automation is proud to be partnered with Fuba Printed Circuits, Tunisia part of the OneTech Group of companies, a leading printed circuit board manufacturer based out of Bizerte, Tunisia, on their first installation of Taiyo Circuit Automation DP3500 coater.
Vicor Power Orders Hentec Industries/RPS Automation Pulsar Solderability Testing System
04/24/2024 | Hentec Industries/RPS AutomationHentec Industries/RPS Automation, a leading manufacturer of selective soldering, lead tinning and solderability test equipment, is pleased to announce that Vicor Power has finalized the purchase of a Pulsar solderability testing system.