Projects

1-Android-Based Universal Vehicle Remote Diagnostic, Monitoring and Tracking .

Ashraf Tahat, Ahmad Said, Fouad Jaouni, Waleed Qadamani

Department of Communications Engineering

Princess Sumaya University for Technology

Amman, Jordan

This system aims to provide a low-cost means of monitoring a vehicle¿s performance and tracking by communicating the obtained data to a mobile device via Bluetooth. Then the results can be viewed by the user to monitor fuel consumption and other vital vehicle electromechanical parameters. Data can also be sent to the vehicle¿s maintenance department which may be used to detect and predict faults in the vehicle. This is done by collecting live readings from the engine control unit (ECU) utilizing the vehicle¿s built in on-board diagnostics system (OBD). An electronic hardware unit is built to carry-out the interface between the vehicle's OBD system and a Bluetooth module, which in part communicates with an Android-based mobile device. The mobile device is capable of transmitting data to a server using cellular internet connection.

2-Telemedicine System to Monitor and Manage Blood Pressure - 2011

Ashraf Tahat, Anwar Sacca, Yazeed Kheetan

Department of Communications Engineering

Princess Sumaya University for Technology

Amman, Jordan

n Uncontrolled hypertension is an ongoing challenge to health care systems worldwide. Proper measurement, management, and interpretation of the blood pressure is essential in the diagnosis and management of hypertension.

n Telemedicine is widely considered to be part of the inevitable future of the modern practice of medicine. It is gaining more and more momentum as a new approach for patients’ surveillance outside of hospitals (at home) to encourage public safety, facilitate early diagnosis, treatment, and for increased convenience.

3-Solar Water Heater Remote Monitoring and Control System--2010

Ashraf Tahat, Majd Abukhalaf, Omran Elmuhesen

Department of Communications Engineering

Princess Sumaya University for Technology

Amman, Jordan

n An integrated system composed of an application software and a hardware unit to remotely monitor and control a solar energy utility was designed, implemented, and installed. Currently, it is desired to obtain real-time measurements of heated water temperature, heated water level in the reservoir, and consumed heated water from current solar energy installations to be monitored at a management office and customer support department.

n Jordan has no natural oil resources and relies entirely on imported fuel for its energy demands. The only natural energy resource available is solar energy. Jordan has a very sunny climate with an average solar radiation between 5 to 6.5 kWh/m2 - day (on a horizontal surface) [1]. Solar water heating (SWH) units are extensively deployed in Jordan.

n These units are mostly of the thermosyphonic type. This type of solar water heater consists of two flat-plate or evacuated tubes solar collectors having an absorber area between 3 to 4 m2, a storage tank with capacity of 150 to 180 liters and a cold water storage tank, all installed on a suitable frame [2]. An auxiliary electric immersion heater and/or a heat exchanger, for central heating assisted hot water production, are used in winter during periods of low solar insolation. Because the manufacturing and installations of solar water heaters have expanded rapidly in Jordan, there is a need to develop a remote monitoring and control systems and investigate the applicability of remote maintenance in large commercial utilities.

4-Ranging System for the Blind Long-Cane Utilizing a Smart-Phone -2009

nA cost effective and easy-to-use smart-phone based ultrasonic wireless ranging, and collision warning system that is appropriate to complement the long-cane of the visually impaired persons is presented in this paper. This system is intended to increase the safety and the reliability of the mobility aid of the blind while reducing cost by utilizing popular wireless technologies as Bluetooth and a smart-phone along with Text-To-Speech (TTS) features of mobile devices. The system hardware is composed of an ultrasonic sensor that interfaces to a microcontroller and a Bluetooth transceiver. While the application software runs on the user’s smart-phone or PDA. Laboratory experiments demonstrate that the developed system can effectively detect the presence of obstacles with accuracy in the centimeter range.

nThe blind long-cane remains the most widely used travel aid among the visually impaired people, whose number in the world is 45 million, and it is increasing by 7 million each year according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report [1]. Blind persons’ lives and activities are greatly restricted by loss of eyesight, and can only walk in fixed paths that are necessary to their lives. Currently, blind navigation systems are divided into indoor and outdoor navigation technologies. Most of indoor navigation assistances can be classified into basic obstacle avoidance systems and virtual reality technology.

5-Mobile-Based (Vital Signs) Personal Electrocardiogram Monitoring System -- 2008

nA mobile monitoring system utilizing Bluetooth and mobile messaging services (MMS/SMS) with low-cost hardware equipment is proposed. A proof of concept prototype has been developed and implemented to enable transmission of an Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal and body temperature of a patient (Vital Signs), which can be expanded to include other vital signs. Communication between a mobile smart-phone and the ECG and temperature acquisition apparatus is implemented using the popular personal area network standard specification Bluetooth.

nAccording to a World Health Organization (WHO) estimate, cardiovascular disease kills almost seventeen million people around the globe each year [1], with around twenty million people at a risk of sudden heart failure. Some of theses lives can often be saved if acute care and cardiac surgery are provided within the so-called golden hour. Therefore, patients who are at risk require that their cardiac health to be monitored frequently whether they are indoors or outdoors so that emergency treatment can be given if problems arise [2]. Telemedicine is widely considered to be part of the inevitable future of the modern practice of medicine.