The project Hospitals 4.0 – Machine learning for more effective management involves the participation of the Center for Innovation in Electronics, Motion Control and Industrial Applications (MCIA) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC). The main aim of the project is to construct a digital twin to monitor, visualise and manage the state of maintenance of hospital equipment.
This digital twin represents accurately the activity of a real hospital environment in a simulated scenario. The simulation enables the management team to prepare for potential real situations and anticipate future actions by gathering data on the use and wear of systems.
Through the optimisation of resource availability, and the maintenance of resources within the hospital environment, the availability of medical equipment is guaranteed when necessary. Anticipation will avoid a lack of equipment or potential problems, with enough time to look for and start to activate solutions.
Hospitals 4.0 is a short project (approximately between 9 and 10 months) and is currently in the phase of data collection from the Hospital de Terrassa. In addition, the first building information modelling (BIM) designs are being draw up for the area that will be monitored.
This pilot could validate the harmony and functionality of the various enabling technologies within Industry 4.0 that this project makes possible, including the simulation of systems, digital twins, machine learning, artificial intelligence, the internet of things (IoT) and the interconnection of systems.
As the next step, the “logic” part of the facility use simulator will begin to be designed. In this aspect, MCIA will be responsible for creating the machine learning algorithm. Along with the design of the simulator’s data flows that is being developed by CT Solutions Group and the database of medical records, the algorithm will enable a predictive, corrective equipment management system.
The project is funded through the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism’s grants supporting Innovative Business Clusters (AEI) for an amount of 32,351 euros. It is led by the Smartech Cluster and participants include the Mental Health Cluster of Catalonia, MCIA UPC, BIM6D, the Joan Costa Roma Foundation and Cadtech Ibérica.