Latest Revision of the Shimmer Platform Released
June 24, 2010Shimmer 2R, the latest revision of the Shimmer platform has been released and is now available to purchase from our online store. Changes to the platform include a lower power Accelerometer, new Bluetooth radio module, new 802.15.4 radio module, and a smaller more functional enclosure.
The Shimmer 2R platform has improved battery voltage monitoring, and the ability to measure/calculate instantaneous operating current. This new functionality will benefit customers seeking to develop resource aware applications. The new 802.15.4 radio module, developed by Shimmer Research and titled SR7, has FCC, IC, and ETSI certification and is also utilised on the recently launch Span Platform for low power standards based communication.
New Features of the Shimmer 2R Platform:
- New 3 Axis Accelerometer: Freescale MMA7361 1.5/6g Micropower MEMs Accelerometer
- New Shimmer Research SR7 Radio Module: 802.15.4 Radio Module with Chipcon CC2420, Chip Antenna. The SR7 has FCC, IC, and ETSI Certification.
- New Class 2 Bluetooth™ Radio: Roving Networks RN-42 with soft-power control and improved low-power and master-mode.
- Power Monitoring: Improved battery voltage monitoring and the ability to measure/calculate operating current.
- More Functional Case Design:
The release of Shimmer 2R coincides with the release of a full range of new enclosures. The new case design is 25% smaller in volume for the standard Shimmer unit, and offers greater functionality on the expansion modules.
For more details on the Shimmer 2R platform download the capabilities overview, or for registered users of our members section, download the Shimmer 2R manual.
Tags: 802.15.4, accelerometer, Bluetooth, Launch, New Products, purchase, Sensor, shimmer, store
Shimmer’s New Rigid Gyro Board adds Enhanced User Interface and Reduces Power Consumption
June 1, 2010Shimmer Research has released a new Gyro Sensor module. The new Rigid Gyro board design replaces the previous Flex Gyro board and adds additional features for enhanced operation and accuracy.
The Shimmer Gyro Board has an enhanced user interface with a programmable button for application control (such as sampling start/stop, RF transmission start/stop, data marker), a programmable indicator, and pinhole reset. The new rigid Gyro Board also burns 25% less power than the previous Shimmer Flexi Gyro design and with a rigid board implementation to ensure a perpendicular Z-axis, the new board reduces alignment error and provides mechanical stability. The size of the Shimmer is unchanged, even with the new features.
New Gyro Board – Key Features:
Sensing:
- InvenSense 500 series MEMs Gyros provide 500 degrees/s full scale, 2.0mV/degree/second sensitivity.
- (Factory option for 110 degrees/s and 9.1mV/degree/second sensitivity)
- Planar design reduces alignment error and provides mechanical stability
- Burns 25% less power than previous Shimmer Gyro
- Zero-signal reference levels for offset calibration
- Gyro Temperature monitoring for precision sensing applications
- Auto-zero control for precision sensing applications
- Secondary power regulator rejects system noise
- Gyros can be disabled to save power
User Interface:
- Programmable Button for application control. Examples: Sampling Start/Stop, RF transmission Start/Stop, Data Marker
- Programmable Indicator
- Pinhole reset
Tags: Gyroscope, Launch, New Products, Sensor, shimmer
Recent Shimmer Updates
May 25, 2010Regular visitors to the members section of the Shimmer Research website may have noticed the new ‘Research’ tab. After strong customer feedback and a number of requests the Research tab was created to allow users of the Shimmer platform to share and exchange information about their current projects and areas of work with the Shimmer platform. Users can submit their details, a brief abstract, and a project document to be included on the page to build information, links and collaboration with other researchers and institutions across the Shimmer users’ network. The information will only be viewable to registered members of the Shimmer website. To visit the page, please select the following link.
Also available to registered members of the Shimmer Research website are the user guides for the Shimmer Expansion Modules. The Shimmer Biophysical user guide covers the Shimmer ECG, EMG, and GSR modules, with the Shimmer Gyro user guide, and AnEx user guide also available.
Finally, Shimmer Research has recently launched its own Youtube Channel where a range of presentations, applications, and product demonstrations will be available. There are a number of videos already uploaded to the Channel, which we will look to add to in the future, so please subscribe to the Shimmer Research Channel for the latest updates. If any existing Shimmer users have any videos they would like to submit for inclusion, please feel free to contact us at info ‘at’ shimmer-research.com.
TRIL Centre Uses Shimmer GSR in Creating an Alertness Training Programme
May 6, 2010The TRIL centre has recently published an article outline their work in developing an Alertness Training Programme. The programme is aimed at improving the attention and alertness of older people, which is seen to have a significant effect on how well they function at home and in their communities, and ultimately on their ability to live independently.
The device which was designed specifically with the end user in mind utilises a Shimmer GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) sensor to indicate and record levels of alertness by the user. The Shimmer GSR is integrated into a cushion like design which makes the device appear less medical or technical and therefore more approachable to non-technically inclined older adults.
Operation
Two leads protrude from the device, and Velcro loops with embedded sensors are worn on the fingers. When the device is switched on, it takes a baseline GSR reading. The user presses the grey button before self-alerting, and the on-screen graph spikes upward to indicate a higher level of alertness, as measured by galvanic skin response. The GSR data is recorded to a micro-SD card, for later analysis.
To read the full article, please select the following link
Tags: Aging, Alertness, BioFeedback, Galvanic Skin Response, GSR, press coverage, shimmer, TRIL
Intel’s Eric Dishman Highlights Shimmer to a US Senate Special Sub-Committee on Aging
In a recent testimony to a US Senate Special Sub-Committee on Aging, Eric Dishman reflected on the persistent barriers that prevent the widespread implementation of telehealth, aging-in-place, and what Continua calls “e-care” (for “electronic care”) technologies.
He opened his testimony by introducing two new technologies which he feels are key to the implementation of e-care systems. One of the two technologies he chose to introduce to the Senate Committee was Shimmer.
Utilising Shimmer to monitor the daily movements of seniors and predict when a fall may be likely to occur, Dishman believes that the technology can help reduce falls by as much as 70% or more. Currently one in every three people over the age of 65 fall each year, at an estimated cost of $44 billion to the US economy yearly by the end of this decade.
Read his full testimony by following this link.
A video of the testimony is also available on the above link, with Eric Dishman introduced to the committee at the 75.40 mark. He introduces Shimmer to the committee at the 76.45 mark.
Tags: Aging, e-care, e-health, Elderly, Eric Dishman, Fall Detection, Intel, shimmer, Tele-Health
Shimmer Research Launches New Span Platform
March 29, 2010Shimmer Research is proud to announce the launch of the new Span platform – a USB access point for the Shimmer’s low power 802.15.4 (base layer of Zigbee) solution.
The Span platform is a 2.4GHz IEEE 802.15.4 radio module that plugs into the USB port on computing devices, to realise a low power radio transmitter, access point, or receiver in a wireless system with devices like Shimmer. It will work with a laptop and many smaller mobile devices, and the platform has received FCC, ETSI, Industry Canada and CE Certification. Span uses the popular combination of an MSP430 processor and a CC2420 radio transceiver. Dedicated FTDI USB UARTs are utilised for communication and programming.
The Span platform will facilitate users to established and realise the full benefit of Shimmer’s on board 802.15.4 radio for low power communications, and power conscious applications. This plug and play set-up will allow for rapid deployment in mesh networks, wireless sensor networking, wireless medical devices, on body data acquisition, inertial sensing, and education.
Key Features:
The Span platform adds low power 2.4GHz 802.15.4 radio communication to computing devices, and has an open source software library. Due to its attractive and sleek enclosure, Span doesn’t block adjacent USB ports when in use, and there is a FTDI UART driver support in Windows, Linux, Mac and other popular operating systems. Shimmer supports the mainstream TinyOS CC2420 radio stack and our own IP-over-802.15.4 stack.
For more information – visit our product page here.
Intel’s Eric Dishman – Talking about the Shimmer platform at TEDMED
March 25, 2010Eric Dishman (Chief Strategist and Global Director of Product Research, Innovation and Policy for Intel’s Digital Health Group) gave a talk at TEDMED 2009 titled ‘Take Health Care off the Mainframe’. He highlights the importance of behavioural markers in the early diagnosis of a medical issues for the elderly, and talks about how Intel have been utilising Shimmer in areas including fall prevention, tremor analysis to check for trends in motor deficiencies, gait analysis, and stride length.
Dishman pulls a Shimmer out of his sock at the 11.51 mark when addressing the issue of falls prevention for the elderly. Watch the video in full below:
Shimmer Standalone Display Software
March 23, 2010The new version of the Shimmer Standalone Display software is now available from the download section of our website. The updated version contains both the Shimmer Display and the Shimmer Binary Reader which enable the user to use Shimmer in a standalone environment.
Updated features include:
- LowPass / HighPass filters
- Actual / filtered values display
- Accelerometer calibration
- Corrected multiple display labels
- Updated help file
- CSV / Binary capture feature
- Export CSV from Shimmer Reader
About Shimmer Display
The Shimmer Display allows users to display the data received from Shimmer. The program can also capture data to disk and / or send it as UDP packets on the local network. The data can be captured in the Bluetooth client mode only, and can export to a Binary file, or a CSV file. As the data is coming over a standard serial port – any Windows program (Windows 95 to Windows 7) will be able to receive the data, meaning there is no need for any driver. In UDP client mode, the program displays the data broadcasted over the local network by a Shimmer connected to a different computer or network adapter.
About Shimmer Binary Reader
The Shimmer Binary Reader is an application used for displaying the raw data captured by the Shimmer Display application and the Shimmer Symbian Bluetooth client.
To download the file, please visit the following link: http://shimmer-research.com/wordpress/download/softwares. Please note that the file is only available to registered members of the website.
Tags: Applications, calibration, shimmer, Software
Shimmer is compatible with Labview
February 8, 2010We are happy to announce that the Shimmer wireless sensor platform is now compatible with Labview and a DSC module is available that can be used for writing Labview applications.
The DSC module allows for straight forward creation of Labview applications.
Features of the module:
- Built-in networking for data sharing and integrating third-party devices
- Networked database for distributed data logging
- Configuration-based alarms and events
- Graphical development for distributed monitoring and control
- User-level security for applications
- Real-time and historical trending
More info on the module page.
New EMG and GSR Daughter Cards Now Available
January 29, 2010The new EMG and GSR daughter cards have now been released and are officially available to Shimmer users. The EMG (Electromyogram) will prove a useful tool to existing users of the ECG daughter card with no software changes required except to support higher sampling rates, whilst readers will be familiar with the recent validation work carried out on the GSR (Galvonic Skin Response) daughter card for use in biomedical-orientated research applications.
The EMG daughter card is a highly economical wireless acquisition system for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by muscles using conventional disposable electrodes. The EMG works just like the existing Shimmer ECG daughter card allowing the addition of EMG measurement to existing Shimmer systems as a drop-in replacement. The EMG has low power consumption 180µA (leads connected) and a frequency range* of 5Hz-482Hz.
The GSR daughter card monitors skin conductivity between two reusable electrodes attached to two fingers of one hand and can be used in areas such as affective computing and to monitor aspects including stress, excitement, shock, and cognitive factors. The Shimmer GSR outperforms competing devices by using four digitally controlled measurement ranges. Developers use this capability to ensure accurate measurement across a variety of test subjects in real-world deployments.
The EMG and GSR daughter cards maintain an open system with no proprietary connectors, and have an open and extensible software and data format. They both capture data to the highest industry standards, and offer far superior flexibility due to wearable technology and small form factor allowing for greater usability in real world applications. Most notably, the EMG and GSR daughter cards match or often outperform competing gold standard sensor units, whilst offering better ergonomics at a cost-effective price.
A brief specification overview of the two daughter cards can be seen below:
EMG
GSR
The new daughter cards can be purchased by contacting info ‘at’ shimmer-research.com, and will be available to purchase from our online store in the coming weeks.
Tags: EMG, GSR, Launch, New Products, shimmer