ICI - IT-UBI | Documentos por Auto-Depósito
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- Wearable sensors for stress monitoring in meniscus injury rehabilitationPublication . Pires, Catarina de Sá Baio; Velez, Fernando J.; Coelho, Paulo Jorge Simões; Pataca, António Oseas; Pires, Ivan Miguel SerranoMonitoring vital signs is essential in identifying physiological stress, particularly in rehabilitating meniscus injuries. Stress can compromise the effectiveness of physiotherapy, affecting recovery. This paper reviews monitoring technologies, such as those that consider heart rate and sweating sensors, and their application in remote patient monitoring. It highlights the importance of collecting real-time data to personalize treatments and optimize recovery and explores the challenges and benefits of this approach. Integrating these technologies can significantly improve therapeutic results, prevent stress, and improve patients' quality of life.
- Smart textiles for health monitoring in industrial environments: a framework for wearable sensor integrationPublication . Vilarinho, Bruna Abreu; Vieira, Andre; Nunes-Pereira, João; Parente, João; Pires, Ivan Miguel Serrano ; Velez, Fernando J.The occupational health and safety of workers in industrial plants are increasingly compromised through exposure to thermal, physical, and psychological stressors. Wearable sensors embedded in garments have been introduced as a promising technology for real-time, continuous health monitoring without compromising workers' mobility or comfort. This paper reviews recent literature on wearable sensor technologies embedded in textiles, with a focus on their applicability in industrial settings. The paper identifies the key physiological parameters commonly monitored (e.g., heart rate, skin temperature, respiratory rate, and skin conductance), the materials and sensor types used, as well as the methods of integration into garments. Based on the findings, a conceptual model for a smart textile monitoring system tailored to industrial workers is proposed. The aim is to support the development of ergonomic, accessible, unobtrusive, and effective solutions that promote occupational health and prevent work-related illnesses.
- Radio Coverage Assessment and Indoor Communication Enhancement in Hospitals: A Case Study at CHUCBPublication . da Silva, Óscar; Teixeira, Emanuel; Corceiro, Ana; Reis, António; Velez, Fernando J.The adoption of wireless medical technologies in hospital environments is often limited by cellular coverage issues, especially in indoor areas with complex structures. This study presents a detailed radio spectrum measurement campaign conducted at the Cova da Beira University Hospital Center (CHUCB), using the NARDA SRM-3006 and R&S®TSME6 equipment. The signal strength and quality of 5G NR, LTE, UMTS, and NB-IoT technologies were evaluated. Critical coverage gaps were identified, particularly at points 17, 19, and 21. Results revealed that operators MEO and NOS dominate coverage, with MEO providing better 5G NR coverage and NOS excelling in LTE signal quality. Based on the results, the localized installation of femtocells is proposed to improve coverage in these areas. The approach was designed to be scalable and replicable, with a planned application at Cumura Hospital (Guinea-Bissau), reinforcing the applicability of the solution in contexts with limited infrastructure. This work provides both technical and clinical contributions to achieving ubiquitous cellular coverage in healthcare settings.
- Driving Healthcare Monitoring with IoT and Wearable Devices: A Systematic ReviewPublication . João Pedro da Silva Baiense; Zdravevski, Eftim; Coelho, Paulo Jorge Simões; Serrano Pires, Ivan Miguel; Velez, Fernando J.Wearable technologies have become a significant part of the healthcare industry, collecting personal health data and extracting valuable information for real-time assistance. This review article analyzes 35 scientific publications on driving healthcare monitoring with IoT and wearable device applications. These articles were considered in a quantitative and qualitative analysis using the Natural Language Processing framework and the PRISMA methodology to filter the search results. The selected articles were published between January 2010 and May 2024 in one of the following scientific databases: IEEE Xplore, Springer, ScienceDirect (i.e., El- sevier), Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), or PubMed Central. The analysis considers population, methods, hardware, features, and communications. The research highlights that data collected from one or numerous sensors is processed and accessible in a database server for various uses, such as informing professional careers or assisting users. The review sug- gests that robust and efficient driving healthcare monitoring with IoT and wearable devices applications can be designed considering the valuable principles presented in this review.
- Fractal Patch Antenna based on Photonic Crystal for Enhanced Millimeter-Wave Communication in Intelligent Transportation SystemsPublication . Bagheri, Nila; Peha, Jon; Velez, Fernando J.; VelezThis paper introduces a Fractal Patch Antenna (FPA) integrated with Photonic Crystals (PhC) designed for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in the Millimeter-wave bands (mmWaves) given the importance of the application of mmWaves in Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) networks, we assumed, as examples, that the antenna is designed to resonate at three frequency bands: 31.42 GHz, 37.76 GHz, and 38.92 GHz. With a gain of 10.88 dBi, at 38.92GHz, the antenna demonstrates promising signal reception and transmission capabilities, which are anticipated to be important for ITS operations. The antenna bandwidth covers multiple frequency bands, enabling versatile communication in mmWaves V2X applications. To evaluate the performance of the antenna, we conducted a detailed analysis of its configuration. This included a comparison of the antenna with and without the PhC integration, as well as an exploration of rectangular lattice structure. In addition, variations in hole sizes and spacing were examined to assess their impact on key parameters such as the gain and reflection coefficient. The integration of fractal geometry and PhC structures results in a compact, high-performance antenna suitable for mmWave communication. The integration of fractal geometry and PhC structure results in compactness and high performance in mmWaves communication applications. Through simulation and analysis, including radiation pattern, gain, and reflection coefficient plot assessment, the antenna performance is thoroughly evaluated. The study highlights the potential of the proposed FPA-PhC antenna configuration to enhance communication networks within the ITS, significantly advancing the ITS system with support from the mmWave bands.
- Design of Communication and Control for Swarms of Aquatic Surface DronesPublication . Christensen, Anders Lyhne; Oliveira, Sancho; Postolache, Octavian; Oliveira, Maria João de; Sargento, Susana; Santana, Pedro; Nunes, Luis; Velez, Fernando J.; Sebastião, Pedro; Costa, Vasco; Duarte, Miguel; Gomes, Jorge; Rodrigues, Tiago; Silva, FernandoThe availability of relatively capable and inexpensive hardware components has made it feasible to consider large-scale systems of autonomous aquatic drones for maritime tasks. In this paper, we present the CORATAM and HANCAD projects, which focus on the fundamental challenges related to communication and control in swarms of aquatic drones. We argue for: (i) the adoption of a heterogeneous approach to communication in which a small subset of the drones have long-range communication capabilities while the majority carry only short-range communication hardware, and (ii) the use of decentralized control to facilitate inherent robustness and scalability. A heterogeneous communication system and decentralized control allow for the average drone to be kept relatively simple and therefore inexpensive. To assess the proposed methodology, we are currently building 25 prototype drones from off-the-shelf components. We present the current hardware designs and discuss the results of simulation-based experiments involving swarms of up to 1,000 aquatic drones that successfully patrolled a 20 km-long strip for 24 hours.
- LTE-Advanced Radio and Network Optimization: Basic Coverage and Interference ConstraintsPublication . Velez, Fernando J.; Sousa, Sofia; Acevedo Flores, Jessica; Robalo, Daniel; Mihovska, Albena; Prasad, RamjeeIn cellular optimization, the UL and DL the values from carrier-to-noise-plus-interference ratio (CNIR) from/at the mobile station are very important parameters. From a detailed analysis of its variation with the coverage and reuse distances for different values of the Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) and given ITU-R propagation models, an evaluation of the possible range for the reuse factor of LTE-A is performed for the DL. By considering CQI and reference CNIR requirements recommended by 3GPP, DL peak bit rates along with the Transport Block Size assumed for single stream and bandwidths of 10 and 20 MHz, PHY and supported throughputs are analysed. HetNets with Carrier Aggregation are considered, where macro cells operating at 800 MHz provide coverage and small cells (SCs) operating at 2.6 GHz provide throughput enhancement at hotspots. A clear decrease is shown for the supported throughput for the longest coverage distances in NLoS propagation conditions. In the given range of coverage distances, the same maximum value occurs for the supported throughput for K=3 and 7, both for macro and SCs.
- Concepção e Planeamento de Redes sem Fios IEEE 802.16Publication . Carvalho, Vitor; Santos, Dany; Marcos, Rui; Costa, Rui; Velez, Fernando J.; Sebastião, Pedro; Rodrigues, António; Riscado, José; Romão, José; Cavaleiro, VictorEsta comunicação aborda aspectos de projecto e planeamento celular duma rede sem fios WiMax (IEEE 802.16) para interligar ponto-a-ponto a Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade da Beira Interior (FCS/UBI) ao Hospital Amato Lusitana (Castelo Branco), uma rede ponto-multiponto para ligar a FCS/UBI/Hospital Pêro da Covilhã a toda a área urbana do centro da cidade da Covilhã e uma rede móvel celular dedicada aos serviços públicos de emergência e de segurança, abrangendo toda a região da Beira-Interior, fazendo-se a avaliação detalhada da existência de linha de vista no concelho da Covilhã. Efectuou-se o planeamento tendo em conta aspectos relacionados com a relação portadora-ruído, C/N, e a relação portadora-interferência, concluindo-se ser necessário usar sectorização e considerar sobreposição de micro-células à estrutura macro-celular (cell overlay). Utilizaram-se ferramentas GIS para auxiliar no processo de determinação das posições para as estações de base e da respectiva área com linha de vista, de forma a assegurar um expoente de propagação baixo. Dos resultados para a ligação ponto-a-ponto Covilhã-Gardunha-Castelo Branco, conclui-se que é possível assegurar comunicação com qualidade a 3.5 GHz, mas a 5.8 GHz, como a distância máxima para a qual C/N<(C/N)min é de 25 km, é necessário aumentar o ganho de pelo menos uma das antenas para assegurar a qualidade da ligação.
- Protótipo do VABAMPAC - Validação por Código de Barras da Administração de Medicamentos aos PacientesPublication . Coelho, Denis; Marques, Susana; Lajes, Tiago; Velez, Fernando J.Uma barreira de segurança adicional, impedindo erros de dosagem e da escolha do fármaco no momento de tomada dos remédios pelos doentes, reduz a complexidade do trabalho na linha da frente dos cuidados médicos e aumenta a qualidade e a segurança do processo.
- Redes sem Fios Wifi (IEEE 802.11) em Ambiente HospitalarPublication . Lages, Tiago; Marques, Manuel Veríssimo; Velez, Fernando J.Efectuou-se o planeamento da cobertura e da reutilização de frequências no Hospital Pêro da Covilhã do Centro Hospitalar Cova da Beira S.A. de forma a garantir uma qualidade de sinal excelente ou muito boa e minimizar a interferência, maximizando a capacidade. Utiliza-se um servidor RADIUS com recurso ao IEEE 802.1x.