The Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories (EOSL) at Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan (ITRI) has developed a platform called itri-patch, which currently includes several modules for fall detection, heart rate detection, and GPS tracking, respectively.
The Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories (EOSL) at Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan (ITRI) has developed a platform called itri-patch, which currently includes several modules for fall detection, heart rate detection, and GPS tracking, respectively.
Wide ranging applications are possible for the itri-patch, from senior care, home security to anti-theft and product management.
The patch can be easily integrated in various consumer and commercial IoT devices due to its flexible substrate, slim size, and battery operation. For example, the itri-patch can be integrated in wearables, product labels or bag charms.
With BLE connectivity, the itri-patch can be used for merchandise tracking based on BLE. The patch collects data and uploads it to the cloud server for big data analysis, and users can access product status and customer statistics such as preference analysis using their smart devices.
Besides BLE, additional wireless protocols or features can also be supported through customization.
One interesting application of the itri-patch is to combine energy harvesting and GPS tracking in a single module and place it in a shoe pad for elderly and children tracking and personal safety. With piezoelectric energy harvesting, the pad can charge as the user walks. The module can upload GPS data to the cloud server for real-time monitoring. When the user leaves a defined area, the app will issue an alert to their contacts.