The UPC presented innovations and technological capabilities at the IOT Solutions World Congress

29/11/2019

The UPC, through the CIT UPC, once again participated in the international meeting at the Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via site, held on 29–31 October. The projects and technological capabilities that it presented were associated with the thematic areas of IOTSWC 2019: connected transport, manufacturing, health, energy, construction and infrastructure, and logistics, among other industrial sectors. 

Although the expertise of the UPC provides cross-cutting solutions in all these sectors, in the area of the IOT technological capabilities are focused on connectivity and data sciences and particularly on artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, collaborative robots, medicalapparatuses, biosensors, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, cybersafety, big data analytics and wireless sensor networks. 

Regarding projects, the UPC presented two in the area of health, which are being developed by the research group Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering – Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies (IMEM-BRT) . The first is a device that can detect the level of dopamine in the human brain and release the required dose progressively, depending on the patient’s requirements. This device will help to control dopamine levels in the treatment of neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. Using an app and a Wi-Fi connection, the treatment can be monitored via mobile phone.

The second project in the health area is a non-invasive sensor to detect blood glucose from pH and temperature conditions of human sweat. This new, non-invasive technology is based on the application of corona discharge plasma to manufacture electrochemical sensors using plastics from basic products, which are insulating and electrochemically inert, including low-density polyethylene (LDPE) or even recycled plastic. The detection limit of these devices is less than 0.02 mM, a value that is totally compatible with the concentration of glucose in sweat, which ranges between 0.06 and 0.11 mM for healthy patients and 0.01 to 1 mM in diabetic patients. In addition, the sensor can simultaneously detect other analytes such as lactate and dopamine. This multi-functionality makes it relevant as a non-invasive tool to prevent cardiac problems in certain groups (e.g. runners). The technology has been patented and is ready to be marketed.

In the industrial sector, a system was presented for smart monitoring of industrial refrigeration plants, which maximises efficiency and minimises operating costs. The system was developed by the Motion Control and Industrial Applications Research Group (MCIA) in collaboration with the Corporació Alimentària Guissona. This project has improved efficiency in the industrial refrigeration plant through multivariable analysis and modelling techniques, based on artificial intelligence and data mining to recognise patterns in the analysed variables associated with different stages in the operation of the plant. The features and functionalities of the system that is developed cannot be found in any of the monitoring systems for industrial refrigeration plants that are currently available on the market.