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Written Report This Techxplore Project was completed by Rich L. Jason C. Joel M. from the Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, NJ, with technical support from Mr. Peter Eisengrein, Director of Engineering for ATX Communications and with the support of teacher and advisor, Mrs. Evelyn Rios. TechXplore 2006-2007, sponsored by the National Science & Technology Education www.TechXplore.org The Problem In the current War in Iraq, American soldiers are at great risk to injury. Each minute it takes for medical attention to reach a wounded soldier may mean life or death. Currently, in a recent "60 Minutes" episode, it was reported that helicopters are deployed above Iraq no more than 20 minutes away from every soldier on duty. In critical situations, every minute it takes for medical attention to reach a down soldier is critical to his/her survival. This problem currently affects all U.S. deployed troops in battle, whether they are in Afghanistan or Iraq. This communication between injured soldiers and medical problem is a potential problem when an injured soldier is unable to find ways of communication. For example, a group of soldiers may get ambushed by guerilla attacks and may be physically unable to return to their vehicles and request help. Consequently, not being capable of obtaining aide makes death imminent. http://darkblueworld.smugmug.com/popular/11/75528138 The Problem The death tolls of soldiers in Iraq increase relentlessly with each passing day. Something must be done to prevent unnecessary and preventable deaths in the future. With faster medical assistance, fewer lives would be lost and fewer families would have to face the suffering of death of their family members. Another reason for the necessity of a new device is the conditions that the soldiers face everyday from fighting in hot and humid conditions. Their health might decline over time and when they enter the field of combat. A resolution to such problem may be a device that will have a health monitor that would help ensure that they receive the necessary aid. Fellow soldiers would be able to monitor the vital status of their fellow soldiers; and by monitoring the status of the soldier; the proper precautions can be taken. When soldiers enter danger zones, they might become disoriented and eventually lose all sense of direction and require assistance. To prevent this, a live feed with commanders in headquarters is essential in providing medical assistance by air or land to the injured soldier as soon as possible. Current Military Casualties in the War in Iraq US Non Mortal Casualties: Non Mortal Casualties TOTAL - WOUNDED TOTAL - MEDICAL AIR TRANSPORTED TOTAL - NON-MORTAL CASUALTIES As of December 2, 2006 Source: DIOR US Air Force members of the 506th Expeditionary Medical Squadron transport an injured Soldier to a medical facility on Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq, Oct 5, 2005 The Solution Current Technologies: There is a technology called Macromedia Breeze Live that helps the reaction time of the army. It provides military captains with access to deliver mission-critical information such as satellite images and terrain maps. It allows for critical information to be shared amongst army commanders, but it must be used on Internet ready PCs. This is the one thing that inhibits the capability of the technology. It was approved by the Joint Interoperability Test Command and is used to allow battalion commanders to log on to a secure conference to receive and give battlefield information as the real-time battle happens. It has been praised as “an easy-to-use collaboration tool that provides units operating either in the garrison or at the point of conflict with a better common operational picture, faster delivery, and intuitive technical interface." -Barry Leffew, vice president of governmental sales at Macromedia. Three Initial Ideas 1) Soldiers can have helmets with “special” lenses instilled into it that enable the soldier to detect danger in the proximity. These lenses contain heat sensors that are capable of detecting body heat given off by other beings. Thus, these soldiers would be able to fend off danger effectively. Also, these lenses inlcude a microphone that connects them to a military base for maximum safety. 2) The War in Iraq is a major issue in the international community. Soldiers need to be provided with better intelligence and information to help them do their jobs with maximum efficiency and to provide them with safety. Therefore, we would like to install a headphone that connects the soldier to the main base. We would be able to increase response time and to provide them with more safety features. 3) The Chosen Idea: The E-mail to our mentor. -----Original Message----- Dear Mr. Eisengrein, We are proud to finally have a cooperative mentor and we look forward to succeeding in this competition. We have brainstormed a few ideas that involves both the medical and communication fields. The idea that we came up with involves a "wristwatch" that contains a mini computer, camera, gps, the ability to communicate wirelessly in remote places, and the ability to check blood pressure and pulse. This product is designed in particularly for troops currently in combat. We saw a documentary saying how each injured soldier is within 20 minutes away from medical help. However, the problem is communicating in order to receive help ASAP. If a group of soldiers are critically injured, they would not be able to reach their radios and request help. This device would be able to quickly alert for medical attention for soldiers. This device would also be able to detect blood pressure and pulse of the injured soldier. On the other hand, this device can also be used by seniors and the disabled for them to communicate to their physicians. We are currently working to build on this concept and we hope you can give us some feedback. Thank you! -Jason C, Joel M, Rich L -----Original Message----- I love the idea. A couple things to consider: THE RADAR WATCH The Radar Watch is an innovation in military safety. This watch provides soldiers with comfort and security that they need when they go into combat. The Radar Watch is essential to each and every soldier in combat and it is as important as his/her bulletproof vest. In addition, it will allow injured soldiers to quickly communicate with the command center and request medical attention. With GPS technology, help would arrive quickly and efficiently. This is an essential feature that will reduce casualty rates in the wars oversees. The Radar Watch is solar powered and has a tough titanium shell for durability. Also, the Radar Watch will contain an impact sensor, which will make an automated call to the command center if it detects great impact imposed on the watch; an example of this would be in an explosion. The Mini Web Cam and Speakers allow the medical staff and the injured soldiers to communicate and provide psychological assistance when a soldier is critically injured. The Radar Watch would also contain a personal information bank and a vital stats monitor to assist the medical staff in providing the injured soldier with the best medical care. This information bank may contain information such as allergies to certain medications or specific medical conditions. In order to enable communication, the Radar Watch will use IMS and WiMax technologies. In remote places, the watch will be able to use IMS technology for communication and when there is an available connection, the WiMax technology will be enabled. Overall, the Radar Watch is a necessity for each and every soldier in combat. It is aimed at improving the response time of medical attention administered to injured soldiers. The additional features of this watch will also allow easy communication between commanders and soldiers. Final Wristwatch Specs: Technologies Associated With Our Solution: WiMax WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a wireless industry coalition whose members organized to advance IEEE 802.16 standards for broadband wireless access (BWA) networks. WiMAX 802.16 technology is expected to enable multimedia applications with wireless connections. WiMax also has a range of up to 30 miles, presenting provider networks with a viable wireless last mile solution. WiMAX was formed in April 2001, in preparation for the original 802.16 specification published in December of that year. According to the WiMAX forum, the group's aim is to promote and certify compatibility and interoperability of devices based on the 802.16 specification, and to develop such devices for the marketplace. Members of the organization include Airspan, Alvarion, Analog Devices, Aperto Networks, Ensemble Communications, Fujitsu, Intel, Nokia, OFDM Forum, Proxim, and Wi-LAN. IMS The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is a standardized Next Generation Networking (NGN) architecture for telecom operators that want to provide mobile and fixed multimedia services. It uses a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) implementation based on a 3GPP-standardized implementation of SIP, and runs over the standard Internet Protocol (IP). Existing phone systems (both packet-switched and circuit-switched) are supported. The aim of IMS is not only to provide new services but all the services, current and future, that the Internet provides. In this way, IMS will give network operators and service providers the ability to control and charge for each service. In addition, users have to be able to execute all their services when roaming as well as from their home networks. To achieve these goals, IMS uses open standard IP protocols, defined by the IETF. So, a multimedia session between two IMS users, between an IMS user and a user on the Internet, and between two users on the Internet is established using exactly the same protocol. Moreover, the interfaces for service developers are also based on IP protocols. This is why IMS truly merges the Internet with the cellular world; it uses cellular technologies to provide ubiquitous access and Internet technologies to provide appealing services. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Multimedia_Subsystem GPS GPS is funded by and controlled by the U. S. Department of Defense (DOD). While there are many thousands of civil users of GPS worldwide, the system was designed for and is operated by the U. S. military. GPS provides specially coded satellite signals that can be processed in a GPS receiver, enabling the receiver to compute position, velocity and time. Four GPS satellite signals are used to compute positions in three dimensions and the time offset in the receiver clock. The United States Department of Defense developed the system, officially named NAVSTAR GPS (Navigation Signal Timing and Ranging Global Positioning System). The 50th Space Wing manages the satellite constellation. Although the cost of maintaining the system is approximately US$400 million per year, including the replacement of aging satellites, GPS is free for civilian use. http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/gps/gps_f.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPS Feedback and suggestions from Mr. Peter Eisengrein (Technical Mentor):
“IMS is quite complicated but the main things it would bring to your application would be the ability to bridge the disparate components of the application (voice, video, and data) so it acts as one over the network, and it allows users to roam between WiFi and Cellular networks. For instance, if you are within reach of a WiFi connection it will use that network for its connectivity -- the assumption here is that the dedicated bandwidth from that network will be far greater/faster and more reliable than you'd get from the cellular network. However, as you move away from that WiFi connection a hand-off is made to the cellular network and the call (or video or data stream) does not drop. The same happens in reverse as you move from the cellular network into WiFi.” “Another component you should consider is prioritization of your application's data since it is used as a life-saving device. This is *relatively* simple using existing Quality of Service (QOS) technologies, however, not all networks will honor the QOS settings coming from an unknown source.” Mr. Eisengrein strongly believes in our solution, although difficult, may serve as an effective solution to our problem. Members of the high school team: Richard L. - My strength is the ability to lead the team and distribute tasks for each member. The role most effetive for me would be to lead the design process and coordinate the website. Joel M. - My strength is the ability to compile information necessary for our topic. The role most effective for me would be to coordinate, gather, and organize researched information. Jason C. - My strength is the ability to communicate between team members along with the mentor. The role most effective for me would be to compile and edit information. Richard L. – Co-leader/Technology Design Coordinator/Webmaster Jason C. – Co-leader/Communication Officer With the support of Mrs. Evelyn Rios (teacher/advisor) and mentor Peter Eisengrein, Director of Engineering, ATX Communications. This project enabled us to explore and journey into the technological world and solve common everyday problems that humans experience. Through extensive research and collaboration, our team was able to effectively work together. As we progressed through our investigation, our imagination and creativity played a large role in attaining a solution. FEEDBACK ~ From Our Peers Safety Watch Survey - This survey was distributed to our peers
Have you ever heard of such a product in existence? If so how is it used? Yes - 60% -GPS in track shoes, Senior citizen emergency devices Would you think our product would be successful in providing quick medical attention to our troops? Yes - 80% No - 20% - Concern for the response time "Is it really going to help?" Do you think this product is necessary and essential for each soldier in combat? Yes - 80% Have you ever heard of GPS (global positioning system)? Yes - 100% Have you ever heard of WiMax? No - 100% Have you ever heard of IMS technology? No - 100% Do you think that a memory bank contained in the watch that had all the soldier’s medical information and history is necessary? (ex: blood type, allergies) If you were an injured soldier and could not reach your radio for help, would this watch comfort you in knowing that you are talking to a person who would provide you with medical attention quickly? Yes - 100% Do you think this concept will improve the medical assistance time for injured soldiers and decrease the mortality rate? Yes - 100% Do you think this product is realistic for future production? Yes - 100% - Expense still a concern Analysis Most of our audience became interested with our proposal. They agreed that the problem at hand is a prominent issue on the battlefields as well as locally. However, others disagreed because they felt that our proposal did not address certain points. However, the main thing to note is that our idea is still in the development stages. Once approved, the idea will be revised and modified. Nevertheless, most of our audience understood our proposal. We presented ourselves as best as possible. The main concern of our technology was its expense. However, with new technological advances each day, this product may become a viable option for military safety in the near future. Much of our technology is also new to many of our peers. All of the students we surveyed had never heard of technologies such as WiMax or IMS. We believe that using these new advances in technology would enhance the safety of our troops. Lessons Learned What parts of the process were helpful to you as you did your project? Teamwork, diligence, and motivation were keys to successfully finishing this project. Endless hours of design, research and investigation within our group helped our team succeed in developing this product. Our mentor, Mr. Eisengrein, gave us insightful information about the technology related to our watch, especially his insights on the communication technologies involved in our product. What parts failed? Researching the problem was quite difficult and statistics were near impossible to find. A delay in receiving a mentor during the beginning of the project set our group back and put a lot of pressure on our team to complete this project. What would you do better next time? Communication between our group members was essential in creating this project. Better communication within our group next time would help us finish this product in a more efficient manner. What would you change? Mentor Profile Interview 1. What is your job? I work for a regional phone/Internet/data services company that competes against the likes of Verizon, AT&T, and others. Our primary target customer is small to medium sized businesses. My title is Director of Engineering and I have worked for ATX for almost 13 years. 2. What does your job involve? 3. How has your field expanded and developed over the years? Where do you think the field will develop? 4. What aspects of your job are included in our project? 5. What is your educational background? 6. What aspect of your job do you like most? Technology Careers Mechanical engineering technicians aide engineers in designing, developing, testing, and manufacturing industrial machinery, consumer products, and others. They may make sketches and rough layouts, record and analyze data, make calculations and estimates, and report on their findings. When planning production, mechanical engineering technicians prepare layouts and drawings of the assembly process and of parts to be manufactured. They estimate labor costs, equipment life, and plant space. These technicians may test and inspect machines and equipment or work with engineers to eliminate production problems. The completion of approx. a two-year program for mechanical engineering technicians is usually required. Several different educational backgrounds can provide entrance to an occupation. Certification in mechanical engineering technology or in a related field is available through provincial associations of engineering and applied science. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos112.htm http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/postsec/openingdoors/occupations/mechtec.html#e Software maintenance design engineers maintain real-time embedded software for different GPS products. His/her duties include the design, coding, testing, and documentation of software maintenance related activities. Software maintenance design engineers are required to work closely with other software engineers and designers, as well as hardware, test, and applications engineers. Education qualifications include an electrical or computer engineering degree with a minimum of 2 years software development experience using C/C++ in real-time embedded systems. They must have strong knowledge of digital hardware and programmable devices. http://www.novatel.com/careers.html GPS Field Technicians use GPS to collect and record specific data about crops and farmland. This may include information about soil, water drainage, and pests, as well as crop abnormalities that may damage crop yield or reduce profitability for the farmer. Their computer can be handheld, mounted on a tripod, or attached to a bike or car, depending on the location needed to be surveyed. In addition, GPS field technicians work closely with GIS analysts who use the data they've collected to make informed management recommendations to farmers regarding crop production. They often work on farmland and possibly remote, previously unmapped areas as well. These individuals must measure distances, directions, and depths of a particular area or parcel of land using the GPS and also transfer data from GPS to GIS (Geographic Information Systems) In regards to education, GPS field technicians should have a minimum two-year degree in GPS/GIS studies or related field. http://www.pathwaystotechnology.org/jobs/jb_51.html
TechXplore 2006-2007, sponsored by the National Science & Technology Education Partnership (NSTEP).
www.TechXplore.org
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