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Application Areas

Civil Engineering

In the Civil Engineering field, the Information and Communication Technology Group has developed innovative test methods, installing sensors (inclinometers, corrosion, accelerometers, etc…) and developing ICT tools to improve the setting-up and the infrastructure life cycle and to predict the behavior for long-term.

The ICT tools developed has consisted in Decision Support Systems (DSS) integrating wireless sensor networks (WSN) technology, computer simulation software and artificial intelligence methods.

Environment

The Information and Communication Technology Group has a wide experience on the development of wireless sensor networks with embedded intelligence for environmental monitoring. These networks are embedded on land stations or on aquatic buoys, transferring data through radiofrequency, satellital and/or GPRS detecting and predicting the environmental evolution, measuring variables such as wind, CO2, temperature, humidity, electromagnetic pollution, noise pollution, ground pollution, water pollution, etc.

The interface between WSN data and computer simulation data is performed via Internet, using a WSN Platform developed at CIMNE. This platform is an effective and useful tool for manage, process and monitor data collected by sensors.

Aeronautics

In the aeronautic sector, the Information and Communication Technology Group has participated in several National and European projects. As a result of this deep research and collaborating with many enterprises of this sector, it has developed a monitoring system for distributed work management for laboratory tests integrating intelligent wireless sensor networks.

Web based software, which allows the evolution of mechanical tests and interact with them via the Internet and through mobile communication technologies. This communication platform should allow analyzing the behavior of real-time display and launching alarm after a predefined event to allow taking programmed actions.

This system is being used in the aeronautics sector. Specifically, the company Applus is using this system in laboratory tests performed for the aerospace company Airbus.

Agriculture

In the agriculture field, the Information and Communication Technology Group has several partners with whom has participated in various projects.

The group has focused monitoring the growing and production phases in the agricultural process. That is essential to control the quality of the process, as well to anticipate defects and risk situations that could compromise the integrity of the product and so avoid costly losses for the industry.

CIMNE has developed an ICT platform to integrate new methods, new techniques and tools to improve the quality, efficiency and security of the agro-food process.

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) is the key technology to monitor and control the different process through internet and mobile devices.

The platform incorporates GIS technology (Geographic Information System) which allows to visualize geo-reference data in real time and to create different thematic maps, and it has a graphic interface to actuate remotely with the systems to adjust key parameters and to optimize the service level and the irrigation systems.

Integrating these technologies, the land state (humidity, solar radiation, pH, salinity, etc…) could be evaluated and managed remotely and that is the main advantage of this system.

Health

The Information and Communication Technology Group has considerable experience in the development of Decision Support Systems (DSS), integration, medical data acquisition systems, wireless sensor networks, computational methods, Networked Info-Mechanical systems (NIMS) and artificial intelligence procedures. Examples of DSS developed in the health and medical field include DSS for support to clinical interventions in cardiovascular diseases, prevention and treatment of epidemiological diseases and support to care for handicapped and elderly citizens.

In addition, has developed ecosystems that consists of a collection of embedded devices including multi-purpose consumer electronics (mobile phone, computer, TV, media centres, Kinect, etc), dedicated health equipment for personal or shared use (HR monitors, activity sensors, environment sensors, exercise equipment, blood pressure, and glucose analysis devices, etc.), external information sources providing sensor input from the environment, general information, and personal feedback, and servers providing the necessary computational environment for services and applications.

Also, has participated in several health projects such as WITH-ME CHIRON, CARE4ME, REUMATIC, e-Sensev, DISHEART, e-RACING to support the development of the interoperable platform and the coaching/training system.

Maritime Navigation

The Information and Communication Technology Group has extensive experience using its technology to implement monitoring systems for sailboat. The use of WSN reduces the sensor problems because there is no corrosion of wires since there aren’t. With our WSN platform we can monitor a ship from a port and at the same time from the ship. With simulation and predictive tool we can get an accurate prediction of what will happen to ship components such a pulley or a sail and act to preserve it from damage.

Learning

Since 1989, CIMNE imparts its own Master in Numerical Methods in Engineering and it has its own online mode using technology developed by the Information and Communication Technology Group, that has a wide experience developing e-learning tools and Content Management Systems and participates at various National and European projects related to this field.

The Information and Communication Technology Group has developed tools that allow performing administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting training programs, classroom / online events and training contents, complemented by mobility tools and mobile APPs to visualize and interact through multiple mobility devices.

Tourism and Leisure

In the last years, the Information and Communication Technology Group has been developing mobile and web applications focused on promote tourism and leisure in rural and urban areas. The group has the following objectives:

  • Promote tourism offering touristic information.
  • Boost new touristic segments.
  • Develop high quality tourism environmentally responsible.
  • Provide value information for tourists.

These applications offer geo-reference information about events and information of interest for the tourist drawing in a map and sending notifications with points of interest close where the tourist, and so, the information flows more adequately taking into account users requirements.

The applications also could contain social tools to connect tourists and local people (APP users) to stimulate people interaction.

Logistics

The Information and Communication Technology Group develops software for multimodal transport that allows articulate different transports modes, in order to implement, more quickly and effectively, transshipment operations of materials and goods. The main objective is to use more than one type of vehicles to transport goods from origin to destination using only one contract of transport.

Sports

In the last years, it has been generating a sharp increase of demand of information and knowledge to improve and to stimulate the athletes’ performance.

The Information and Communication Technology Group is applying the technologies with which it works to develop web and mobile applications capable to contribute an added value on learning, monitoring and tracking, and improvement the sport practice.

Smart Cities

ICT technologies have an important role for enabling Smart City realization.

With an increasing proportion of the world population gravitating towards urban areas, cities around the globe face manifold challenges in providing transportation, energy, healthcare, education, and public services to meet the needs of the public.

This requires a rethinking of the way in which cities function and are governed, leading to the call for “Smart Cities”. A city can be defined as “smart” when its human capital and infrastructure (e.g., transport and ICT) are effectively managed and governed for sustainable economic development and a high quality of life.

The Information and Communication Technology Group has working in several fields related to SMART CITIES such as Resilient Cities, Smart Urban Planning, Environment Monitoring and Smart Entertainment.

Smart Industries

The smart factory is said to herald the fourth industrial revolution, a fundamental shift in operating practices that will change the way that manufacturing companies operate.

The current global economic meltdown is ramping up the pressure on an already beleaguered manufacturing industry, particularly in terms of the flexibility and efficiency of production processes.

This requires production and administrative processes to be meshed with each other via IT systems in order to optimise the use and capacity of machines and lines, while also responding rapidly to wrong developments in production and thus reducing adverse effects on the business.

The Information and Communication Technology Group has develop a monitoring system for distributed work management for laboratory tests integrating intelligent (WSN) technology, computer simulation software and artificial intelligence methods for intelligent monitoring, simulation and management.

This system is a web based telecommunications infrastructure, to record relevant data from a mechanical test and distribute them via the Internet, and integrating the physics of the future Internet and mobile technologies communication, facilitating access and interaction system for smartphones, PDAs and mobile phones.

Intelligent Ports

Cities with ports face different problems and specific opportunities. These issues could be part of a combined Smart Cities and Intelligent Port strategy.

Smart Cities of the future should be based on energy efficiency and mitigation of climate change. In that prospect, ports need to reduce their CO2 emissions by 40%, so cities are both “part of” the problem and “part of” the solution. In that context, ports are essential.

Intelligent ports should make better use of integrated ICT systems in order to use better existing infrastructure and the Information and Communication Technology Group is working in the following areas of application:

  • Oil Spill Detection and Control System
  • Arrival of Ships Management System
  • Events Management System
  • Waste Management System
  • Floating Waste Collection System in Inner Port