SCADA, Telematics & GPS Technologies

GlobalTrak’s Remote Sensor Nodes (RSNs) increase the shipper’s ability to monitor cargo condition with a variable set of sensors for door status, humidity, temperature, a 3-axis accelerometer, and now an extremely sensitive gamma detector, a long term stable sensor with built-in temperature compensation and low power consumption.

Richard C. Meyers, CEO of GlobalTrak, described how the sensors on an RSN add important cargo data for GlobalTrak’s customers, “Remote Sensor Nodes send reports and real-time alerts to any GlobalTrak AMU over a ZigBee protocol wireless network, allowing the data to be communicated to stakeholders. This is a flexible and convenient way of placing sensors where they need to be within a loaded container, truck trailer, or railcar.”

In a radiation monitoring application, the GlobalTrak AMU is mounted on the exterior of the container, truck trailer, or railcar with one or more RSNs equipped with the gamma detector positioned inside the load in best detection positions. The detectors have low and high alarm thresholds to accommodate varying levels of background radiation, such as might be encountered in an ocean transit versus a land route.

The same ZigBee wireless network that allows RSNs to report their status through the AMU can be used to enhance shipment security by monitoring the status of EJ Brooks’ electronic strap seals on individual packages within the shipment or bolt seals on the door of a container, truck trailer, or rail car.

Source: MarketWatch

Image: MaritimeInstituteOnline

The AVR-Based House Monitoring System is designed around the ATmega8515 microcontroller. The system offers hard-wired and wireless control along with a 1-Wire temperature network. A web-based, user-friendly interface enhances the project. [source]

AVR-Based House Monitoring System - [Download Project] [View Abstract]

This is pretty cool, but the name maybe needs a bit of work… just some additional informations about this interesting web service, previously covered in Realtime sensor network awaits your input or output

Pachube (pronounced “patch bay”) is a web service available at http://www.pachube.com that enables people to tag and share real time sensor data from objects, devices and spaces around the world.The key aim is to facilitate interaction between remote environments, both physical and virtual.

Apart from enabling direct connections between any two environments, it can also be used to facilitate many-to-many connections: just like a physical “patch bay” (or telephone switchboard) Pachube enables any participating project to “plug-in” to any other participating project in real time so that, for example, buildings, interactive installations or blogs can “talk” and “respond” to each other.

Source: WSN Blog Link , Original Link

Wow, this could grow into something quite awesome. Pachube is -

a web service that enables people to tag and share real time sensor data from objects, devices and spaces around the world, facilitating interaction between remote environments, both physical and virtual. The idea is to make it relatively simple to “plug” together interactive projects and buildings around the world, as well as to create embeddable graphs of sensor feeds.

Only eighteen feeds conected at the time of this post - but the datastreams are already quite interesting - from a Japanese living room to a swing in Sweden. Head over to the site to learn how to connect your own sensor/stream - Pachube

Source: MAKE

Cambridge Consultants has demonstrated a one-chip platform called Vena which adds wireless technology to existing health monitors for just $10 per unit.

Vena includes support for both IEEE 11073 and the Bluetooth Medical Device Profile. Security is also built-in.

What we’re talking about is the use of unlicensed wireless frequencies, at short distances, to move data from a monitor to a PC and then, if necessary, out to the Internet.

I first wrote about this in 2003 as The World of Always On, and it is personally gratifying to see it come on-stream, especially as a retrofit.

As a retrofit, wireless technology should not need separate government approvals in each application. Once a device is approved, the retrofit is the mere transference of data.

This has tremendous potential in both critical care monitoring and wellness applications.

A real-time monitor with wireless capability could detect health attack precursors and order the ambulance before the patient was aware of symptoms.

In wellness, this would enable real-time tracking of workouts, catching “non-workout” exercise in, say, getting to and from the office, and detecting non-compliance with a coaching regimen.

Separately, but not coincidentally, Cambridge hired MIT Venture Mentor Craig Carlson to head its U.S. acquisition initiative. Read more…