Employer: RIT Electrical Engineering Dept.
Location: Rochester, NY
Position: Software / Firmware Engineer
Period: June 2010 - December 2010
Ever since I began my thesis work I've had a growing interest in applying my skills to the field of medicine and medical research. I find devices that interact with the underlying biomechanical processes of the human body fascinating. I enjoy learning about how the human body functions and technological advances ranging from neural modification to gene manipulation and artificial limb development.
Through the recommendation of a certain kindhearted software engineering professor, I was put in contact with the up-and-coming RIT Biomedical Engineering Dept. Within a matter of days I was hired by the RIT Electrical Engineering Dept. (which forms the backbone of the new biomedical engineering dept.) to begin working on the body area sensor network (BASN) project.
The BASN consists of multiple wireless nodes strapped to a user's body. Each node is about the size of a watch and the band is similar to a watchband. Each node collects biometric information, such as body temperature and limb orientation and acceleration, based on where it is positioned on the user's body. Each collector node wirelessly sends data back to a central access point. In turn the access point aggregates all of the data and wirelessly sends it to a USB dongle attached to a host machine where it is processed by a host-side application.Each node consists of custom-designed PCB architecture and firmware API. A complementary API allows host-side applications to communicate with the nodes using the USB dongle. The centerpiece of each node is the Texas Instruments CC430 microcontroller. Wireless communication leverages the Texas Instruments SimpliciTI protocol.
The goal of the project is to implement a development platform that will allow future developers to create custom applications such as:
- Seizure / muscle tremor detection and patient caretaker alert system.
- Local positioning system using dead reckoning from a known starting location. Can be used to track firefighters as they enter a burning building.
- Wireless electrocardiograph (ECG). Current ECG models use 10 wired electrodes and are cumbersome.
- Soldier injury detection system. In a battle scenario, the command center can track the physical condition and stress levels of soldiers in the field.
Responsibilities and accomplishments:
- Developed 3D proof-of-concept applications demonstrating the ability to capture and process biometric data.
- Leveraged existing firmware to set up a low-power RF communication network between wireless nodes and a host-side USB dongle.
- Implemented a device driver in Linux to provide an API for interacting with the RF network through the host-side USB dongle.
