Biosensor Array

Concept

Mitch Altman proposed a Global Hackerspace Challenge and PS:One accepted. We proposed the construction of an array of biosensors which could be used in a secondary school or college setting as an educational and experimental tool. The array will collect data from various sensors attached to the test subject's body and then make that data available to the experimenter. The project will use as many COTS parts as possible. The terms of the Challenge require that it use a microcontroller and a "portable power source".

The full description of the Challenge is at Global Hackerspace Challenge.

A $900 Paypal budget will be provided by element14. The only thing required, by the rules, to buy from element14 are the microcontroller and the portable power supply.

Key Dates

Week of 3/21 : Official Challenge Briefing / Q+A
3/25: Deadline to create your profile and submit your first blog update
4/1: Deadline for Hackerspace Challenge Blog Post 2
4/15: Deadline for Hackerspace Challenge Blog Post 3
4/30: End of build time
05/01- 05/05: Judging period
05/06: 3 semi-finalists will be announced
Week Of 5/16: One team member from each of the three semi-finalist hackerspaces will travel to San Francisco Bay Area
5/21/22: Maker Faire
5/22: Maker Faire Great Global Hackerspace Challenge Grand Finale
5/23: Team members travel home

Resources

Community

PS:1 Group on element14

Official element14 Group

PS:1 GGHC Google Group

Contacts

Single point of contact for the organizers: hackerspace AT element14 AT com

Money

Ishmael upon receiving the money-wire will reimburse all team-members who purchase items for the project. BUY STUFF NOW and SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS.

Money Spent

$0 Eric Hanley for Wiki Edit from PAGELINK on 3-27-11

Members Involved

As of 15 Mar 2011:

Bill Mania
Avner Shanan
Shawn Blaszak
Philip Strong
Eric Hanley
Drew Fustini
LeRoy Pinto

Sensors and their Project Leaders

This list contains the proposed sensors, in order of decreasing priority. For each sensor, the persons leading the R and D are listed.

properties common to all sensors
Body temperature - Phill, Shawn
oxygen saturation and heartrate - Phill
galvanic skin response - Phill
respiration frequency, volume and carbon dioxide output - Bill
ECG and EMG - Shawn, Avner
EEG Avner

The project must also include the following components:

microcontroller - Eric, Phill, (Drew - if additional help is needed)
data visualization design - Eric
mobile device interface - Drew, Bill
protocol definition - Bill
end-user documentation - John

Array Notes

Sensors

Datasheets

Component	Details	Voltage DC	milliamps	Analog or Digital	Hz Polling frequency	Interface format	Data pins	Requires clock	Generates interrupts
carbon dioxide sensor	Parallax 27929	6.5 to 15	160	Digital	> 2	SIP	MOSI and MISO	Yes	No

Development environments

Maemo N900 Python

Member Notes

Bill Mania

For my part, I've been re-building my development environment for Python and Qt on the Nokia N900 mobile device. I've also been reading through "Building wireless sensor networks" by Robert Faludi, to get an idea of the wireless options available to us.

Drew Fustini

Todo: write an intro transcript for Avner to record as initial take at Tuesday was too rough
Todo: setup dev environment for N900 along with Bill
Mailed organizers (hackerspace AT element14 AT com) about parallax co2 sensor to see if element14 can source for Bill
Reading Oreilly 'Building Wireless Sensor Networks'
Sensor help? I'm not working on a sensor so any that needs help please let me know
I'd like to talk with Eric & Phil about the microcontroller selection
I'm fustini on element14 Community - add me as a contact if you'd like after creating a profile; I'm very familiar with the site so please let me know if anyone has questions

Eric Hanley

We need to start buying parts ASAP(we're on week 2/5, if your ordering online expect at least 1 week for delivery)
Freeduino SB Kit acquired, building soon
if anyone has pictures/graphs/charts from the sensors send them my way

Weekly Meeting Notes

March 22, 2011
- Drew suggested the posibility of using the Heart Spark as a heart beat sensor
- Discussed approaching the accuracy through redundant sensors that could be averaged rather than high precision equipment (keeps costs down)
- John Stoner suggested we make the project as available as possible, i.e. usable stand alone without a computer, with options for USB and bluetooth connections
- We should decide on a target audience (both for who might use the device, and who might be building it)
- Took some video (high level description of the project, bios for Avner, John, Shawn and Drew) for the introductory post which is due by Friday
- [Drew] Just a FYI disclosure: I confirmed today with the element14 marketing manager running the contest that is ok for me to participate even though I am an employee of Premier Farnell (element14's parent corporation). I just can't be the team rep for Maker Faire if we make the finals [I'll be working Maker Faire for the element14 booth anyways].

March 24, 2011 (Conference Call)
- Brief call between Avner & Drew at space and Bill
- Discussed microcontroller platform, general opinion was to continue exploring Arduino
  - believe Eric & Phil already were on this track
- Drew will mail organizers ([email protected]) about parallax co2 sensor to see if element14 can source
  - Bill will be working on that sensor
- Avner going to edit video over weekend for first post
  - new deadline for first post is Monday, Mar-28
  - Drew will write an intro transcript for Avner to record as initial take at Tuesday was too rough
- Agreed best to meet on Tues after PS1 meeting
  - hold irc meetings as needed
  - possibly explore free conf call service (or skype?)
- Avner going to see if he can get some signal from an ecg circuit over weekend
- design decisions needed to determine if some sensors need their own microcontroller if sample rate too high to have one arduino process all inputs
- good to have local output (lcd?) on the user's body for immediate feedback - instead of just feedback on wirelessy connected smartphone or PC
- Drew is not working on any sensor at the moment, so please advise if help is needed on a sensor