Susana Borromeo

A Reconfigurable, Wearable, Wireless ECG System

New emerging concepts as ldquowireless hospitalrdquo, ldquomobile healthcarerdquo or ldquowearable telemonitoringrdquo require the development of bio-signal acquisition devices to be easily integrated into the clinical routine. In this work, we present a new system for electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition and its processing, with wireless transmission on demand (either the complete ECG or only one alarm message, just in case a pathological heart rate detected). Size and power consumption are optimized in order to provide mobility and comfort to the patient. We have designed a modular hardware system and an autonomous platform based on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) for developing and debugging. The modular approach allows to redesign the system in an easy way. Its adaptation to a new biomedical signal would only need small changes on it. The hardware system is composed of three layers that can be plugged/unplugged: communication layer, processing layer and sensor layer. In addition, we also present a general purpose end-user application developed for mobile phones or personal digital assistant devices (PDAs).

GAT: Platform for automatic context-aware mobile services for m-tourism

Despite the recent advances in mobile tourism systems, most of the wayfinding applications have still to deal with some problems: a huge amount of tourist information to manage, guidance for indoor and outdoor environments, and the need of users to have programming knowledge about many mobile phone platforms. In this study, we propose the GAT platform to overcome these problems. In GAT, users are able to generate wayfinding applications for indoor and outdoor environments through a web form without the need for programming skills, assisted by a system of automatic generation and update of points of interest.

Accessible smartphones for blind users: A case study for a wayfinding system

While progress on assistive technologies have been made, some blind users still face several problems opening and using basic functionalities when interacting with touch interfaces. Sometimes, people with visual impairments may also have problems navigating autonomously, without personal assistance, especially in unknown environments. This paper presents a complete solution to manage the basic functions of a smartphone and to guide users using a wayfinding application. This way, a blind user could go to work from his home in an autonomous way using an adaptable wayfinding application on his smartphone. The wayfinding application combines text, map, auditory and tactile feedback for providing the information. Eighteen visually impaired users tested the application. Preliminary results from this study show that blind people and limited vision users can effectively use the wayfinding application without help. The evaluation also confirms the usefulness of extending the vibration feedback to convey distance information as well as directional information. The validation was successful for iOS and Android devices.

Project based learning experience in VHDL digital electronic circuit design

In this paper we present our experience in teaching digital electronic circuit and system design with FPGAs using VHDL. The course follows a Project Based Learning methodology, in which the students learn how to design digital circuits and systems in a practical way. During the course, students design electronic circuits of incremental complexity. At the end of the course they are capable of implementing relatively complex projects, such as image processing systems and videogames.

Objective Assessment of Olfactory Function Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Impairment of the olfactory sensibility can be an indicator of neurode generative disorders, such as Alzheimers disease and Parkinsons disease. The problem lies in obtaining an objective quantitative analysis of olfactory response. For this task, we will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a device that will provide a selective and controlled stimulation of the olfactory system. The novel issues of our design are synchronization between the acquisition and the olfactory task, and automated control of experimental parameters, odorants sequences, and frequency. We present a review of the basic fMRI experimental design of event-related stimulus paradigms versus block design experiments, and their use in olfactory experiments. Finally, we present the preliminary results obtained on a real 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner.

An Embedded Systems Course for Engineering Students Using Open-Source Platforms in Wireless Scenarios

This paper presents a case study analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of using project-based learning (PBL) combined with collaborative learning (CL) and industry best practices, integrated with information communication technologies, open-source software, and open-source hardware tools, in a specialized microcontroller and embedded systems engineering Masters course. In addition to addressing industry requirements in both contents and methodology, the course develops capabilities and competencies in problem solving, independent learning, teamwork, and technical knowledge. Since PBL methodology alone does not ensure teamwork, it was complemented with CL. Design review meetings (as described in IEC 61160), deliverables, and organizational resources were also introduced to mirror industry demands. This structure integrated course content and student academic achievement in a simulated industrial environment. The course had students build a modular management system for home appliances, implementing control software on the “Arduino” open-source platform, as well as using wireless communications. The results show that teaching, learning, and student assessment processes can be improved by using PBL with CL. In addition, the introduction of industry practices, such us peer review meetings, brings academia closer to a real-world context.

An embedded system course using JavaME and android

This paper describes the objectives and contents of a cost‐effective curriculum for embedded system course in our university. The main aim of the course is learning to solve a real problem by developing a real system. The students learn skills to adapt this system to new scenarios. The system consists of a wireless module, a microcontroller and an application for smartphones to control lights by wireless communications. In order to motivate students, JavaME and Android, the important technologies for todays smartphones were chosen. As a result of the course, following the Bologna guidelines, the students worked cooperatively, like in a real scenario. Each group member worked in a complementary manner by analyzing the division of tasks for each student. We followed project‐based methodology has provided an incremental learning to students. According to results, students responded to the course survey that they are knowledgeable on how embedded systems work after taking the course.

Objetive assessment of olfactory function using functional magnetic resonance (fMRI)

In this work, a device for generating automated olfactory stimuli in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies is described. The novel issues of our design are: synchronization between the acquisition and the olfactory task, automated control of experimental parameters (odorants sequences, frequency, time and concentration of stimuli). Finally, we present the preliminary results obtained on a General Electric 3 Tesla MRI scanner belong to The Alzheimer Project of the Fundación Reina Sofía.

A project-oriented integral curriculum on Electronics for Telecommunication Engineers

This paper describes the Electronics curriculum in the Telecommunication Engineer degree at Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) in Spain. Telecommunication Engineering started in the 2003–2004 academic year. In these years, all the electronic courses have been set up with a main practical orientation and with Project Based Learning (PBL) activities, both compulsory and voluntary. Once these courses have been successfully implemented we have reoriented some of the practical activities to be more interlaced. In this sense, projects involving students of different courses have been developed, as well as projects involving students from different years. All these activities fit in the principles promulgated by the Declaration of Bologna, which results in the actual updating of the university degree structure in Spain.

A new open-source technological system for real-time assessment in the classroom

Personalized feedback tools in learning is a powerful method that expert applies when helping students to optimize their learning. We propose a new educational framework to optimize the continuous evaluation process for large groups. In our system, a computer provides tests to the mobile devices of the students; they then return the answers to be corrected. The framework provides real‐time knowledge about the progress of the class to the teacher and real‐time feedback to the students, increasing the rate of student success. Our low‐cost implementation makes it unnecessary to incorporate additional resources or to modify the infrastructure. We have tested it in several courses and conferences. We conclude with an evaluation and a discussion from different stakeholders perspectives.