Internet of Things
Your physician calls you, they have noticed a change to your general health and your physician wants to bring you in for some tests. The sensors in your watch, your clothes and your cell phone that continuously monitor your body temperature, your breathing, your heart rate and even your balance has communicated with your hospital?s healthcare system, and after analyzing your data it sent an alert to your physician. A few years ago this was science fiction, but not anymore.
That more and more things in our environment are connected to the Internet, a trend called the Internet of Things, has enabled us to get increasingly detailed information about what is happening around us, and with us, and also to share this information with the world. Previously, this has been practically impossible as the sensors collecting all the data have not been sufficiently small and power efficient, and neither have the components that manage the communication between the sensors and other technical systems.
Modern cell phones contain an increasing amount of sensors that collect information that can be used for a variety of purposes. At the Department of Information Technology research is conducted on how these devices can be used for example to understand how the winter blues is linked to our dark winters, or how patients in need of rehabilitation can perform balancing exercises at home. The technology behind the sensors and their communication is another current research area in which researchers at the department investigate and develop methods and knowledge to effectively create networks of sensors where multiple sensors collaborating to provide us with increasingly accurate information.
As new technology is developed and our knowledge grows new possibilities are revealed, and sensors that we carry around on our person is just one of a wide range of application areas. Sensors in our homes can enable more efficient use of heating and energy, in our cars they can provide information that help us avoid traffic congestion and thereby reduce both emission levels and the risk of accidents. Through our various research projects, the Department of Information Technology is pushing the boundaries of technology and continuously work towards identifying and exploring new areas of application.
Curious about this Research?
- The Department of Information Technology is the Swedish program office for Internet of Things
that supports Swedish researchers working on the Internet of Things. - The sensors mentioned above are studied in several projects run the Communication Research Group.
Watch a short video about the Internet of Things (in Swedish only):