Posts Tagged ‘shimmer’

Shimmer Research, a leader in wearable wireless sensing is launching a Strain Gauge module to add to its extensive range of wireless sensing capabilities for the Shimmer platform.

The Shimmer Strain Gauge is ideal for all load, weight, force, torque, and pressure measurements through the connection of a user-supplied strain gauge load cell. The Strain Gauge module detects variance in resistance values when force is applied to the load cell. The Strain Gauge expansion module contains a bridge amplifier, excitation source, and connector or wire soldering points enabling force measurement with Shimmer.

Keeping with Shimmer’s focus on wearable sensing, the unit is small (53mmx32mmx23mm), and lightweight (29 grams), allowing for measurements free from wired constraints and enabling the wearer to perform their natural range of motion. With the ability to stream direct to a host device without the need for an intermediate receiving unit, and the option to act as an autonomous data logger, the Shimmer Strain Gauge allows for measurement outside of a dedicated lab setting.

Image illustrates the Shimmer Strain Gauge connected to a Futek Grip and Pinch Load Cell

The Strain Gauge will be particularly useful to customers focusing on Strength Capacity, Rehabilitation, Muscular-skeletal Clinical Research, and Sports Training. Keeping in line with our open source philosophy the Strain Gauge provides raw data, with no proprietary software or predefined analysis parameters to allow the user to interpret and analyse data specific to their application requirements.

The Strain Gauge module is supported in the Shimmer LabVIEW Library and the ShimmerConnect applications. Driver and test application code are available in the TinyOS Sourceforge/Googlecode repositories, with a user manual available to new and existing customers via the download section of the website.

There is a limited number of Strain Gauge modules presently available – and the module can be purchased via our online store. For further information contact us via info@shimmer-research.com

Watch the Strain Gauge Tutorial – or skip to the 4.25 mark to see the Strain Gauge Streaming data in real-time.

Visit the product page:

• Wireless Strain Gauge Module
• Strain Gauge Development Kit

As part of Innovation Dublin 2011, Shimmer Research has collaborated with Dublin City Council’s The LAB Gallery and a number of artists to explore and develop the ‘Quantified Self’.

Working with artists Michelle Brown, Cliona Harmey, Saoirse Higgins and Bea McMahon, films, drawings, and sculptures were developed using the Shimmer’s wearable wireless sensing technology. Quantified Self is a theme that explores how people can capture, monitor, and interpret personal and sensed data to make better decisions and engage with their health, behaviour, environment and personal outcomes.

The exhibition will be held at The LAB Gallery, located on Foley Street, Dublin 1, opening with a reception on Tuesday the 18^th of October from 6pm to 8pm. The reception will include a programme of events and a discussion curated by Rachel O’Dwyer, and is open to the general public. The Exhibition will run until the 3^rd of December, and feature applications including Equine Dressage, Stress Biofeedback, and Heart Rate Monitoring.

For more information – visit the webpage.

About Innovation Dublin

Launched in 2009, Innovation Dublin is a Creative Dublin Alliance Project coordinated by Dublin City Council (Economic Development Unit) and  is partnering with eight cities in the north west of Europe to develop open innovation models through transnational collaboration, to maximise European level synergies and development potential in the knowledge economy.

Soft tissue injuries (STIs) refer to the damage of muscle fibres, tendons and ligaments that connect the skeletal bones and account annually for $200billion in lost work hours across the US. This is by no means an insignificant sized sum nor is the fact that 34% or $68 billion dollars of all work related injuries in the US are defined as Soft tissue injuries (STIs).

The main reason for the cost of STIs is the failure of current diagnostic tools to provide soft-tissue-specific diagnosis. In relation to STI in back pain for example, x-ray machines only reveal significant results in 1 in 10,000 cases.

Litigious environments and stand offs between embellished STI cases or legitimate work injuries create the need for a ready solution to this troublesome issue.

A recent IEEE pulse article deals with this very challenge, it begins at the root of the problem, how it has been approached thus far, and how future solutions can ensure that these kinds of injuries are treated in a cost effective manner to improve clinical outcomes.

EFA solving the problem

The IEEE article reports on Insight Diagnostics Inc. (iDi) a Nevada based Diagnostics Company; outlining how they have developed state-of-the-art evaluation and diagnostic equipment for STIs. They combine the existing Electro-diagnostic Functional Assessment (EFA) with five medically accepted tests – Electromyography (EMG), Range of Motion (ROM), functional capacity evaluation (FCE), grip test and pinch test.

This method opens a comprehensive list of results to the clinician to determine the nature, extent, acuity, location and source of the referred pain, capturing information not only when a patient is static but also while the muscle is functioning dynamically (ROM). The EFA Assessment is nonloading, meaning there is no weight or resistance placed on the both the patient and the ROM apparatus whilst capturing full freedom of movement (flexion, extension, rotation, and lateral movements).

Currently iDi’s solution is a wired unit, with the patient tethered to a signal acquisition system using a complex wire harness. This provides less flexibility when performing tests within different work place environments and activities, resulting in the need for a more portable, and adaptable solution.

Wireless system

The relationship between iDi and Shimmer Research IEEE maintains is just the tonic for the advancement of this kind of technology, “Maximising potential gains while mitigating drawbacks led to a system that was validated for further commercial development.”

Shimmer Research, a leader in body worn sensor manufacture sought to deliver a wireless solution to the EFA wired offering. The Shimmer sensors configured for EMG, ROM (accelerometers), FCE pinch, and grip were chosen to develop the wireless EFA system based on features, commercial availability, and extensibility to include all the sensors in an EFA measurement suite.

Working in partnership the companies were able to address challenges of operating time, RF communication, network architecture, and device configuration to develop a reliable sensor based Personal Area Network (PAN) for the wireless EFA system.

Wired v Wireless EFA

Equipment (a) represents the Wireless Solution vs. Equipment (b) the Wired Solution

The development of a wireless system resulted in a ‘significant enhancement in system capability’ over the wired solution. Improved data quality, form factor, portability, number of channels, costs, and field maintenance were gained in the development of the wireless system.

One of the most notable outcomes was in relation to lead failure. Lead Failure is the primary failure mode of the wired EFA solution and can lead to a test being postponed. The wireless solution allows for the detection of the fault by a Shimmer device with an indicator illuminated at the failure location. The lead in question can be changed or, as the system is modular, the Shimmer in question can be easily swapped out. This results in a more robust solution, reduced complexity, lower initial system costs, elimination of custom components, and an increase in uptime.

The wireless EFA system will allow iDi to make a more significant impact in occupational and sports medicine, with greater ease of use, flexibility and portability, whilst offering a clear economic advantage.

Read the Full IEEE Pulse Article on pages 20-26.

The new Shimmer Dock has been released, and adds a number of updates to its predecessor the USB Reader. The Dock has a slim new design, adds greater functionality via an integrated GPS module, and replaces the pin hole reset with a reset button for greater ease of use.

The GPS module will transmit serial GPS NMEA sentences to the docked Shimmer’s external connector UART lines. This data can be used for application synchronization or localization and will provide users with accurate location and global time data in the development of Shimmer based applications.

The Dock also includes the standard features that where associated with USB reader such as programming, charging, and an integrated USB Flash Media Controller.

New Shimmer Dock: Controls, Functions and Indicators

• Power/Reset Button: Power on, reset, or power-off Shimmer unit
• GPS Enable Button: Toggle between GPS and host PC UART connection to Shimmer
• User Button: Application specific signal to Shimmer
• Charge Indicator
• microSD, UART Indicators

For full details visit the Shimmer Dock product page.

The ShimmerConnect software has just been updated, and is now available via the members section of the website.

The application allows users to display and save data received from Shimmer devices streaming over Bluetooth, and provides a range of user functions including the ability to select the sampling rate, which sensors are to be used, enable/disable power monitoring, and change parameters such as the accelerometer’s sensitivity.

Version 0.2 improves on the range of sensors supported by the application and includes a number of bug fixes from the original 0.1 version. The changelog includes:

• Support for the GSR, Strain Gauge and Heart Rate sensors
• Support for receiving 8-bit data channels instead of just 16-bit
• Added MagHeading box when Magnetometer is enabled
• Fixed problem with saving/displaying Magnetometer data
  • Read Mag data as 16-bit signed int, instead of 32-bit/64-bit
• Fixed EMG problem
  • A second EMG channel was being added erroneously
• “AnEx ADC0″ and “AnEx ADC7″ labels in Configure window now change to “VSenseReg” and “VSenseBatt” respectively when voltage monitoring is enabled

The source code for the application (written in C#) has also been updated and is available to current customers and users of the Shimmer platform upon request (Please visit the C# Development webpage).

The Boilerplate image (firmware) that is required to run on Shimmer is constantly updated and can be found in tinyos-2.x-contrib/shimmer/BoilerPlate.

For more information – visit the ShimmerConnect webpage.

Shimmer Research is proud to announce the official release of the Shimmer LabVIEW Library. Designed to assist Shimmer users in the development of Shimmer based applications, the library offers an expansive range of support tools from low level instrument driver’s right through to example Shimmer Application VIs.

Whilst allowing developers to be guided through the structure and tools to familiarize and develop applications with the Shimmer platform, the Shimmer LabVIEW Library also incorporates a number of end user functions. The example applications VIs include multi-Shimmer management, feedback on the percentage of data packets successfully received, support for the full range of Shimmer sensing modules, and the streaming of data in both raw and calibrated formats.

The Shimmer LabVIEW Library includes:

• Instrument Driver VIs: Low level Instrument Drivers for a range of different Shimmer operations such as configuring, triggering, and acquiring data
• Integrated Shimmer VIs: VIs that integrate all of the functionality of the lower level Instrument Driver VIs, providing ready made solutions suitable for most applications, greatly reducing development time
• Example Application VIs: LabVIEW application VIs that are designed to demonstrate  the use of the Integrated VIs in application development as well as serving as a basis for the development of user designed applications

Karol O’Donovan, Lead Application Engineer in the development of the Shimmer LabVIEW Library, noted ‘the Library will provide a toolkit for the development of Shimmer based solutions for a wide range of users from academic researchers to industrial developers. The Library exposes the full functionality of the Shimmer platform and is supported by a detailed user manual and appropriate labeling of block diagrams to facilitate greater understanding of the Shimmer LabVIEW Library and fast track the development of new applications’.

Demos, Documentation, and Downloads:

To find out more on the Shimmer LabVIEW Library, visit our LabVIEW webpage which provides a full description, list of main features, and system requirements. The Library package can also be downloaded from our LabVIEW webpage, along with the manual to guide you through the Library, Instrument Drivers, and Example Shimmer Applications.

Finally, you can view a full set of video demonstrations on the Shimmer LabVIEW Library via our YouTube Channel.

Shimmer Research, the leader in low power, wearable wireless sensing solutions have announced that they will be increasing the battery capacity by 60% on the Shimmer platform from June 2011. The upgrade will significantly increase the battery life in sensing applications where power consumption is a key concern, whilst not affecting the small, lightweight form factor of the Shimmer units.

The upgraded battery maintains Shimmer’s position as a pioneer in addressing power constraints in wearable wireless sensing. The open source platform, which is highly configurable and flexible, allows researchers, developers, and equipment manufactures to create extremely power efficient applications specific to the end user requirements. The additional battery capacity will facilitate even greater functionality in continuous, remote, and complex monitoring and motion sensing applications.

The new 450mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery can facilitate activity monitoring for up to two weeks on one recharge cycle when recording data locally, and can facility continuous streaming of ECG via Bluetooth for up to 24 hours. Speaking about the development Michael Healy (Lead Application Engineer, Shimmer Research) noted that the 450mAh battery ‘will really open up a new range of possibilities for research and product development. It will allow for better usability in home deployments, remote monitoring, and complex multi sensor applications where, power consumption has been a key constraint to date’.

The new battery will come as standard on all Shimmer units from the first of June 2011. For new customers units can be purchased as part of the development kits available from the company’s website e-store. For existing customers, please email info@Shimmer-Research.com for further information.

Shimmer Research has added to their sensing range with the addition of a GPS expansion module for the Shimmer platform. The module provides accurate location and global time to sensing applications, along with ambient data via a pressure / temperature sensor integrated onto the GPS daughter-board.

The GPS module maintains the wearable form factor associated with Shimmer, with a small size (53mm x 32mm x 23mm) and light overall weight (32grams). The assembled unit provides an impressive list of sensing capabilities combining Shimmer’s integrated motion sensors (Accelerometer and Tilt/Vibration), with GPS, Temperature, and Barometric pressure sensing.

The module has received robust pre-launch interest from industry and researchers, with the Shimmer GPS already being used for people tracking, sports informatics, and maritime monitoring. Enquiries have also been received in the areas of transport, logistics, defence, and the social sciences with particular attention given to the ability to develop globally synchronized sensing systems via the GPS’s accurate timing capacity.

One of the key features of the module is the provision of raw data, with no proprietary software or predefined analysis parameters.  As outlined by Kieran Daly (VP of Business Development) the ‘Shimmer GPS hardware enables researchers to interpret data specific to their application requirements, unlike many end user, domain focused GPS products currently available. For industry, the Shimmer GPS module can be used as the hardware to develop customised commercial solutions with a faster time to market – driving business growth’.

Driver and test application code for the GPS module are available in the TinyOS Sourceforge/Googlecode repositories, with a user manual available to new and existing customers via the download section of the website. Separate drivers provide support for both the GPS and Pressure Sensor modules, and test applications demonstrate the use of both.

The GPS Development Kit, and GPS Module are now available, and can be purchased via our online store.

Keep up to date with the latest news and announcements:

ShimmerConnect, an application for use in conjunction with the Shimmer platform has just been released.

ShimmerConnect allows users to display and save data received from Shimmer devices streaming over Bluetooth. The application is designed for greater usability and functionality, with a number of data capture parameters being configurable.

Users can select the sampling rate, which sensors are to be used, enable/disable power monitoring, and change parameters such as the accelerometer’s sensitivity. Once captured, the data can then be saved to a CSV file for further interpretation and analysis.

This application runs natively in Windows and can be run in Linux using mono (http://www.mono-project.com/Main_Page). Two versions of the application are available which are tailored to the different operating systems. The only discernable difference between the two applications is the positioning and sizing of some of the windows and controls.

ShimmerConnect – Windows

ShimmerConnect – Functionality

Images of the firmware that need to be run on Shimmer are also available to download, which can be installed using the “Shimmer Windows Bootstrap Loader”, and can also be found in tinyos-2.x-contrib/shimmer/BoilerPlate.

The application is written in C# and the source code is available upon request to existing customers.

Download: ShimmerConnect via our Download –> Software section

**Available to Existing Customers/Users of the Shimmer platform. Website Membership Required

Keep up to date with the latest news and annoucements:

Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have recently conducted research into compressed sensing and wirelessly transmitting the data via Bluetooth to an iPhone. To find out more visit their project webpage or watch their video clip below.

Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Arizona’s Department of Surgery are using a Shimmer powered device to monitor daily activities of patients with severe diabetes. This is to identify common activities that can lead to wounds, and ultimately to amputations. The study aims to provide early detection and treatment. Watch the video clip posted by a local news channel below.