FEATURE ELECTRONICS FOR HARSH ENVIRONMENTS
Wear and Never Tear Biomonitoring wearables to resist difficult conditions
Christian Lynn, editor of Electronics, visited the Equivital stand at DSEI to speak with Andrew Butler, product manager, to discuss their latest wearable applications and how they function within tough, military circumstances
Christian Lynn: In relation to the wearable technology that Equivital specialises in, miniaturisation is a current trend: how does Equivital balance size with efficiency in performance, i.e. a display that facilitates use on-the-go?
Andrew Butler: There are two things that could negatively affect the technology in terms of size: battery and, as you say, display.
Equivital has historically used a phone
as the predominant intermediary in the monitoring system: the system, as a whole, consists of the LifeMonitor chest belt (the physiological sensor), which connects to the phone running our own application, via Bluetooth. Once the information provided by the LifeMonitor is saved within Equivital’s app, it can be pushed to Black Ghost, our real-time viewing application, to be used for critical decision making in the field. When using a phone from another manufacturer, the size of the device is obviously pre-determined. Yet, the range of android phones available is vast and, consequentially, the end customer can select a device which fits their needs, playing off actual size against battery life and screen size. As of Q1 next year, Equivital will offer a Smart watch, which will be able to carry out the function currently performed by the phone: this has given us the opportunity to design a device that is optimised for our use cases. Now, going back to concerns on miniaturisation, the watch operates with a smaller display, so the main challenge is ensuring a proficient user experience without the luxury of a sizeable interface as with a phone. Over half of the investment on developing the application was focused on reducing complications with the interface, such as simplifying the inputs required to use the touch screen display like security protocols. On the battery front, it’s important everything within the wearable works
34 OCTOBER 2019 | ELECTRONICS
efficiently so that the battery integrated can be as small as possible. There are many factors which should be considered in the optimisation of power performance: everything from the choice of chip-set and operating system through to efficient use of the RF sections in the Bluetooth, can make a massive difference.
CL: Would the data recorded by the device be stored locally – within the device itself – or on a wider network? Depending on which, how does this affect how the information is used?
AB: The answer is both. Firstly, the LifeMonitor wearable has an electronics element called the SEM. Each SEM has 8Gbs of internal memory, which is used to store all the physiological information measured from its use. The SEM also transmits a subset of this data (which is configurable) to the phone or watch, adding some additional parameters and re-transmitting to Black Ghost wirelessly. In the case that communication is lost, the data is buffered; when communication is re-established, the data de-buffers on a “last in, first out” basis, to fill any gaps in the history seen in Black Ghost. Further to this, the device is also certified to several standards, such as FCC/CE, so that it does not contribute to radio interference in the environment and is not unduly vulnerable to it. However, like all devices utilising radio communications, the wearable is susceptible to a deliberate attack. In this case, it’s important to note that in the body-wide network, Equivital is using a
secured version of Bluetooth, to combat these harsh threats: resistant to man- in-the-middle attacks and spoofing, the data is secured to the FIPS-140-2 security standard.
CL: Further to these specifics, how do you design the wearables to withstand the harsh environments that naturally come with military and defence applications?
AB: The watch, our new shirt with sensors embedded and the LifeMonitor are designed for use in various challenging environments: monitoring core temperature, heart rate, even ECG, they can be used for anything as informal as a run to something as extreme as a military application. Therefore, they need
Equivital’s sensor belt isn’t invasive when fitted
to not only prove comfortable, but resistant to the challenges that each environment brings. In this regard, it’s all about intelligent design and the quality of materials and manufacturing. Equivital researches the material best suited to the application, testing it against the harsh environments it’ll be expected to face during its operation. Some of this proofing includes testing (and certification) for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. To cater to that challenge, there is a specialised version of the LifeMonitor where both the belt itself and the SEM are capable of being used in ATEX zone zero environments. These “EX” products are visually different to their standard counterparts. The SEM, for example, is fitted with yellow stickers carrying the markings required by legislation around the use of devices in hazardous environments both in Europe and the USA, proof of its ruggedisation against these kinds of harsh, external influences.
Equivital
www.equivital.com / ELECTRONICS
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