This case study deals with the design of a hybrid system for the prevention of thermal events in mining waste disposal sites and landfills. The overall design, real implementation, optimization and experimental verification of the functionality of the entire system are described in detail. Both experimental platforms are built on the Internet of Things (LoRaWAN and Sigfox) basis and meet the conditions for autonomous long-term on-site monitoring. The data collected is periodically transmitted wirelessly to a database repository, which processes relevant parameters for the operators of dispatching workplaces. The study is focused on a combination of surface and depth measurement methods. The experimental results clearly confirm the functionality of the proposed solutions, which will enable timely interventions and elimination of underground and surface combustions. Thanks to centralized data collection, a unique database has also been created, which can be used for the implementation of prediction algorithms (based, for example, on machine learning or artificial intelligence).
The analysis of biomedical signals is a very challenging task. This review paper is focused on the presentation of various methods where biomedical data, in particular vital signs, could be monitored using sensors mounted to beds. The presented methods to monitor vital signs include those combined with optical fibers, camera systems, pressure sensors, or other sensors, which may provide more efficient patient bed monitoring results. This work also covers the aspects of interference occurrence in the above-mentioned signals and sleep quality monitoring, which play a very important role in the analysis of biomedical signals and the choice of appropriate signal-processing methods. The provided information will help various researchers to understand the importance of vital sign monitoring and will be a thorough and up-to-date summary of these methods. It will also be a foundation for further enhancement of these methods.
The article describes the development and implementation of a complex monitoring system for measuring the concentration of carbon dioxide, ambient temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric pressure. The presented system was installed at two locations. The first was in the rooms at the Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava. The second was in the classrooms of the Grammar School and Secondary School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in Frenštát pod Radhoštěm. The article contains a detailed description of the entire measurement network, whose basic component was a device for measuring carbon dioxide concentration, temperature and relative humidity in ambient air and atmospheric pressure via wireless data transmission using IQRF® technology. Measurements were conducted continuously for several months. The data were archived in a database. The article also describes the methods for processing the data with statistical analysis. Carbon dioxide concentration was selected for data analysis. Data were selected from at least two different rooms at each location. The processed results represent the time periods for the given carbon dioxide concentrations. The graphs display in percent how much of the time students or employees spent exposed to safe or dangerous concentrations of carbon dioxide. The collected data were used for the future improvement of air quality in the rooms.
A large number of rock formations in the Czech Republic and abroad directly threaten to damage objects or traffic along the roads located beneath these formations. For this reason, many such rock formations are stabilized using protective fences or dynamic barriers. There are several special sensors available on the market. However, there is no comprehensive monitoring system, including remote threshold settings, data processing, and alarm conditions. This statement is supported by extensive research in this area as well as information from major geotechnical companies that are interested in such a system and want to include it in their portfolio. The aim of the article is to describe the unique wireless monitoring system used to measure the geotechnical quantities we have developed. The design and implementation of systems used to measure protective fence states with accelerometers and slope shift with load anchor cells are presented. Wireless accelerometric sensors and load anchor cell sensors are proposed for both systems. To transfer data from the accelerometer sensor to a superior system, IQRF® technology is applied for the communication between the wireless nodes and the network coordinator under the IQMESH topology. The article includes a detailed description of the development of the accelerometric wireless sensor node and load anchor cell wireless sensor node. Three case studies are also discussed. The first case study focuses on the data implementation and assessment at a testing polygon at the village of Málkov. The second case study describes the data implementation and an assessment of the measuring system under operating conditions in Zbraslav, a municipality near Prague. The third case study describes the implementation and assessment of data from load anchor cell wireless nodes installed in realistic conditions on a supporting gabion wall next to a road. All communication between the sensors and with the IQMESH network coordinator and database was executed wirelessly. The data were archived in a MySQL database and it provides a data source for the assessment and visualizations using the Grafana SW system.
During 2020-2021, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant vulnerabilities in hospital safety, with oxygen-related fires and explosions occurring at twice the usual rate. This highlighted insufficient preparedness for increased oxygen therapy demands and the associated risks of oxygen-enriched atmospheres. This study aimed to develop and test a smart monitoring system to detect increased oxygen concentrations in hospital environments, mitigating the risk of fires. Based on Internet of Things (IoT) technology, the system includes wireless sensors that measure oxygen levels at regular intervals and transmit the data to a database. Alerts are sent to hospital staff via short message service and e-mail when oxygen levels exceed predefined thresholds. The sensors were deployed in an intensive care unit and were validated through real-time measurements under hospital conditions. The system demonstrated high accuracy (±1%) in monitoring oxygen concentrations with low power consumption (345 µA for oxygen concentration measurements taken every minute). Notifications reliably informed staff of oxygen level thresholds, enabling timely interventions. The proposed IoT-based smart monitoring system is a cost-effective and efficient solution for improving safety in medical environments.