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The UPC has been present at MWC Barcelona 2024 with its own stand where, among other technologies, it has showcased an application to diagnose malaria using artificial intelligence, a smart fabric with applications in the health area, a device to monitor the cardiovascular system of animals non-invasively and a virtual assistant to process social grants through a mobile phone.
The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), represented by the UPC Technology Center (CIT UPC), will have a stand at the MWC Barcelona 2024, which has been held from 26 to 29 February, at the Gran Via venue of the Fira de Barcelona. This stand will showcase the technological capabilities and some of the projects and solutions developed by the University in the areas of smart connectivity, mobility and industry, including 5G and security in mobile technologies.
→ MWC. Gran Via venue of the Fira de Barcelona
Booth 4, Catalan Government pavilion (Congress Square, Catalonia pavilion).
Some of the projects that will be demonstrated are the following:
- An app to diagnose malaria, using artificial intelligence that combines a mobile application with a low-cost automated microscope. It has been designed to be a useful, effective method in countries with few resources, which is where this disease is endemic. It was designed by the Computational Biology and Complex Systems Group (BIOCOM-SC UPC), the Image and Video Processing Group (GPI) and the Database Technologies and Information Management Group (DTMI) at the UPC.
- A smart textile based on a system of textile sensors, which serve to monitor the biometric variables of the human body and the evolution of diseases in a minimally invasive way. It was developed by the Radio Frequency Identification and Flexible Electronics (RFLEX) group as part of the ETEXHEALTH project.
- A non-invasive device to monitor animals’ cardiovascular system in a non-invasive way, which facilitates the work of veterinary staff and professionals who look after animals, as it enables them to make the measurements in the shortest time possible and provide more information than the current electrocardiogram system. It was developed by the Instrumentation, Sensors and Interfaces Group (ISI).
- A virtual assistant to process social grants through a mobile phone, called Gavius, designed by the specific research centre in Intelligent Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (IDEAl) at the UPC and the International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE). It is focused on informing and helping citizens to process social grants via the mobile phone. Gavà and Mataró city councils will be the first to make this service available to their population.
Improve mobility and industrial processes
In addition to these solutions, other technologies with the UPC stamp will be shown at this edition of MWC. In the area of mobility, the project 6G-EWOC has been presented. This project is centred on the creation of a 6G optical network for connected mobility, to make it easier in the future for vehicles to be driven autonomously with high levels of safety, due to a complete 3D map of mobility in the surrounding environment in real time.
In the same line, the FIERCE project is working to develop and implement solutions based on the Internet of Everything to make mobile drone communications safer and more efficient. Another project in the area of mobility is the design of a series of optimised routes applied to transport on demand in the food sector.
At industrial level, a tool has been demonstrated that is based on artificial intelligence and designed to improve quality control systems in manufacturing processes. In addition, a system has been presented that automatically generates city noise maps using mobile acoustic sensors, as well as laser technology to map the underwater environment and navigate more safely and precisely through it without human intervention, as developed in the BEACON project.
Other UPC projects and Connèxia UPC
Additionally, the MERIT project, consisting of a dynamic, international educational ecosystem, and an industry-driven master’s degree programme based on the current technological market trends and industry’s needs focused on AI, IoT and cybersecurity, and the INDUSAC project, for the development and validation of a state-of-the-art, industry-academia collaboration for fast challenge-driven, human centred co-creation, in which the UPC Technology Center is participating, have been showcased as well.
The UPC booth at MWC 2024 also introduced the new collaboration programme with the company Connèxia UPC.
More information: Join the UPC at the MWC Barcelona
Related Projects
- Microalgae-based wastewater treatment systems have demonstrated the ability to recover nutrients from wastewater and produce valuable biomass for agricultural applications while also recovering energy through the anaerobic digestion of residual biomass. In the Cyan2Bio project, in which the Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology (GEMMA) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) is participating, an additional step will be taken in the valorisation of microalgae biomass to obtain biopolymers suitable for transformation into bioplastics alongside pigments, thereby replacing fossil-based materials.
- Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and age-related disorders, have been widely studied due to their significant impact on individuals and society. So far, these are incurable and debilitating diseases that lead to progressive degeneration and death of nerve cells, resulting in cognitive and mobility impairments. Tremors, mainly at rest, slowness of movement (bradykinesia), limb rigidity, and issues with gait and balance are typical motor disorders related to Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, due to progressive muscle atrophy, these issues can lead to falls, which in turn result in further complications and risks to quality of life.
- The energy transition is reshaping the foundations of the power grid, driven by the massive deployment of renewable generation based on power electronics and the gradual disconnection of conventional fossil-based generation. In this context, grid operators will require support systems to provide flexibility, as renewable generation is highly variable.
- The Biological Treatment of Gaseous Pollutants and Odours Group (BIOGAP) at UPC is participating in the BIOMETCRI project, which aims to implement an innovative biotechnological process to recycle batteries from electric and hybrid vehicles, recovering valuable metals such as cobalt, lithium, nickel, and manganese.
