头盔MEMS碰撞侦测器可自动发送求救信号

微机电系统(MEMS)芯片不仅彻底改变汽车的安全性(透过触发安全气囊)，也为智能型手机注入了智能元素(可感测方位)。 MEMS 并进一步催生全新的产品应用类型，从动作感测遥控器到可监控与追踪农场动物放牧的MooMonitor颈圈。 如今，美国ICEdot公司还开发出一款结合 MEMS 与紧急定位传送器功能的头部创伤侦测系统，能够让穿戴运动头盔者在遭遇撞击而失去意识时，实时发送求救讯号，使伤者能更迅速获得紧急治疗。 “ICEdot” 这个名字取自‘In Case of Emergency’的意思，它一开始用于紧急事故通告服务中，让参与摩托车越野赛或滑板等危险运动的人穿戴一种内建PIN与紧急联络电话的特殊腕带识别手链(或者也能做成专用贴纸贴在头盔上)。当有人拨打此求紧急电话并提供PIN时，该系统会立即传送一则通知给配戴手链者的紧急联络人，而如果遇到有 糖尿病或过敏等必须就医的特殊状况时，现场人员还会即使指导如何加以因应。 然而，随着 MEMS 传感器出现，该服务如今已能在配戴者遭受撞击失去意识时，自动发送信息给紧急联络人了。 ICEdot公司CEO Chris Zenthoefer表示：“这款传感器的运作方式是用户必须先在系统中预先登录紧急联络人(通常是配偶或家中成员)的信息，一旦在发生事故而失去意识时，便会传送文字简讯或email通知紧急联络人，告知用户的 GPS 坐标，并以电话指示紧急联络人如何与用户联系。而如果无法联系到紧急联络人时，那么该系统就会派出救护车或派人员前往处理。”

约仅手掌大小的ICEdot搭载充电用的mini-USB埠，以及加速度计和陀螺仪。
Source：ICEdot7eNesmc

本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 本文下一页：该组件内部整合了哪些功能模块？

相关阅读：
• MEMS电子鼻让你的手机也拥有嗅觉
• 面向医疗市场的MEMS传感器应用
• MEMS新应用让纸上书写与iPad同步7eNesmc

{pagination} ICEdot 利用用户智能手机中的 GPS 芯片来确定其位置，并以手机的无线网络发送紧急信息，因而得以简化 ICEdot 组件。约仅手掌大小的 ICEdot 可防水，外表看起来相当简单，不仅没有任何的按键，也只采用单一USB埠进行充电。它还能够利用低功耗蓝牙连接到配戴者的智能手机。 该组件内部整合了蓝牙IC、聚合物锂离子电池，以及由意法半导体(ST)提供的三轴加速度计与三轴陀螺仪。透过该加速度计与陀螺仪，以及TI微控制器执行演算法，能够测量出撞击的严重程度(经由加速度计测量)以及头部是否受伤(经由陀螺仪测量)。因此，ICEdot就能判断配戴用户只是从自行车上跌倒没受到 什么伤害，还是严重摔伤可能导致脑震荡或其它脑部创伤之间的差异。 Zenthoefer解释：“我们不仅测量力道，同时也仿真用户的大脑可能经历的过程。基于脑部的流体以及大脑的左右移动，就能评估脑部遭受的情况。我们并不会明确指出用户有脑震荡的现象，但能够估算出用户遭到了与脑部重创一样的力道，应而可能需要实时协助。”

ICEdot碰撞侦测器可安装在运动头盔上，侦测可能发生的头部外伤。
Source：ICEdot7eNesmc

ICEdot 主要针对自行车骑士，但几乎可应用在任何需要戴头盔或安全帽的运动与环境下，如骑机车、滑雪以及马术等(但不建议足球运动，因为该应用程序目前并不针对这 项运动需求) 。在用户发生撞击意外后，智能型手机的应用程序会在发送讯息给紧急联络人开始倒数计时，让用户有时间取消自动通知。该应用程序还能记录在活动期间的加速度 和旋转速度，以及整体重力(G-force)。 ICEdot并计划在未来更新其应用程序，以提供先进的追?性能，以实现更佳 功耗控制，并期望能在一次充电后可维持长达一个月的电池寿命(目前约需4小时完全充电后仅维持一整天)。此外，目前的仅能支持 iPhone 4S 或更新的版本，很快地也将支持 Android 版本。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 编译：Susan Hong 参考英文原文：MEMS Enables Personal Crash Detector，by R. Colin Johnson

相关阅读：
• MEMS电子鼻让你的手机也拥有嗅觉
• 面向医疗市场的MEMS传感器应用
• MEMS新应用让纸上书写与iPad同步7eNesmc

{pagination} MEMS Enables Personal Crash Detector R. Colin Johnson PORTLAND, Ore. — Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) chips have already revolutionized automotive safety -- by triggering airbags -- and put the "smart" into smartphones -- by sensing orientation. MEMS are enabling whole new categories of products, from motion-sensing remote controls to the MooMonitor that tracks herds of farm animals. Now a new device from ICEdot, in Tulsa, Okla., combines an emergency location transmitter function with a MEMS-based head-trauma detection system to enable anyone wearing a sports helmet to more easily receive the emergency treatment he or she needs if knocked unconsciousness. ICEdot -- which stands for "in case of emergency" -- began as an emergency notification service that instructed anyone who participates in a dangerous sport -- from motocross to skateboarding -- to wear a special wrist-band identification bracelet with a PIN and an emergency telephone number on it. When a person calls that number and supplies the PIN, which can also be put on your helmet with a special sticker, the service sends a notification to the wearer's emergency contact and instructs on-the-scene responders if any special medical conditions exist, such as diabetes or allergies. With the advent of MEMS sensors, however, that service has become proactive -- automatically sending out a message to an emergency contact in the event the wearer is knocked unconscious. ICEdot's CEO Chris Zenthoefer said in an interview with EE Times: The way our sensor works is you preregister with us who your emergency contacts are -- usually a spouse or family member -- then whenever you have been in an incident that knocks you unconscious, they get a message. The message, which can be either a text message or an email, gives your GPS coordinates and instructs them to try and contact you by phone. If you are unresponsive, then they can send an ambulance, or go there themselves if its nearby. The palm-sized ICEdot has a single mini-USB port for charging and houses an accelerometer and gyroscope. (Source: ICEdot) ICEdot leverages the global positioning system (GPS) chip in the user's smartphone to determine their location, and uses the cellular connection in the user's phone to send the emergency message, thus simplifying the ICEdot device itself. The palm-sized ICEdot, which is waterproof, is deceptively simple with no buttons and just a single USB port for charging. It connects to the wearer's smartphone using low-power Bluetooth where all configuration selections are made. Inside the device is the Bluetooth radio, a polymer-lithium battery and both a three-axis accelerometer and three-axis gyroscope, both by STMicroelectronics. By using both an accelerometer and a gyro, algorithms running on the integral Texas Instruments microcontroller can measure both the severity of the impact -- from the accelerometer -- as well as whether the head was twisted before or after impact -- from the gyroscope. As a result, the ICEdot is capable of telling the difference between just falling off a bike, with no probable injury, and a serious fall likely causing a concussion or other brain trauma. Zenthoefer said: We are measuring the forces and mimicking what your brain experienced. Based on the fluids in your head and the way your brain moves about, this is what we think your brain has experienced. We don't say unequivocally that you have had a concussion. But rather that you have experienced forces consistent with major head trauma and that you probably need help. The ICEdot personal crash detector mounts on any helmet to detect possible head traumas. (Source: ICEdot) ICEdot is mainly used by bikers, but can be used by almost any sport using a helmet, such as motorcycling, skiing, and equestrian (but is not recommended for football, since the app is not currently geared for it). After a crash, the smartphone app counts down before sending out a message to the emergency contact, to give the user time to cancel the automatic notification. The app also records the acceleration and rotational velocity experienced during the event as well as the overall G-force. For the future, ICEdot plans to upgrade its app to provide advanced tracking capabilities for better power control, aiming for a month of battery lifetime on a single charge (currently set at only about a day before a four-hour charging period is required). Currently an iPhone 4s or later is required, but an Android version is in the works.