ESS-H - Embedded Sensor Systems for Health Research Profile

Description of the project

ESS-H is a research profile targeting Embedded Sensor Systems for Health. The profile is hosted by Mälardalen University, Embedded Systems, and is conducted together with industrial partners. The profile combines a unique set of competences including both hardware and software aspects at Mälardalen University and at the partner companies, in collaboration with healthcare and care providers. The research groups in ESS-H already have well-established cooperation with companies and public organizations in the healthcare area.

The goal of the ESS-H profile is that academia and industry together achieve a significant increase in research in the area of embedded sensor systems for health performed at Mälardalen University and participating companies, and that ESS-H is established as a nationally leading and an internationally renowned research center for embedded sensor systems for health.

The core competence areas within ESS-H are Biomedical Sensor Technology, Biomedical Signal Processing, and Intelligent Decision. Dependability, verifiability and safety are important properties of embedded sensor systems in health applications. The supporting technology areas Software Testing and Dependable Wireless Communication contribute to ensure these properties, and are thus important for the successful deployment of embedded sensor systems in health applications. Close co-production will ensure industrial relevance in the formulation of research problems, user relevance in system design and implementation, as well as channels to adapt, deploy, and commercialize research results from ESS-H.

Three main research challenges are identified within ESS-H:

• Reliable Acquisition of Physiological Data
• Personal Biofeedback
• Reliable Distribution of Decision Support

Each of these challenges requires multi-disciplinary research. The research challenges will be addressed in the setting of collaborative research projects, where each project will combine all competence areas within ESS-H, including Mälardalen University researchers from the core areas, expertise from the partner companies, and Mälardalen University researchers from the supporting technology areas. The research within the projects will be systems-oriented and the projects will address the three main research challenges identified.

There will be three projects within ESS-H:

• Sensor Systems for Health Monitoring at Home
• Sensor Systems for Health at Work
• Infrastructure for Physiological Data Management

Three to six companies will participate in each project, together with Mälardalen University researchers. There will be considerable synergies and collaboration between the projects.