A novel IoT application system using wearable PPG heart rate monitoring devices to improve safety management for shield tunnel construction projects
Journal
37th International NO-DIG Conference and Exhibition 2019
Journal Volume
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85081753213&partnerID=40&md5=2874ae06b45d5c875b4fe8879362d3c4
Journal Issue
2-s2.0-85081753213
Date Issued
2020
Author(s)
Abstract
According to the latest statistics revealed by International Labor Organization (ILO), 33.7 million accidences happened around the global with USD1.2 trillion lost consequently. Safety management has been acting as the most important role in all national construction projects, that encourages innovative technologies to be introduced to many construction projects to save more precious lives. This paper proposes wearable heart rate monitoring devices and senor networks to instantly assess worker's workload, that can prevent accidents caused by worker's unintentional errors. Heart rate is commonly recognized as human's physical and psychological index used to assess one's health status in clinics. Thanks to the advance of micro photo-electronic technologies, the Photoplethysmography (PPG) device is popularly used as the heart rate monitor in the athletic training program. To extend the value-added application of wearable PPG devices, we've developed a novel IoT system incorporated with the bioinformatics theory. Therefore, we can continuously monitor and collect construction worker's heart rate without interfering their routine work. In our experiment, 16 volunteer workers from a shield tunnel construction project have joined our field test. However, the result of our first field test was not satisfactory. Modification work of wearable PPG devices and IoT gateways were conducted successfully to fulfill the expected data availability of 80%. We increased the data transmission rate of the PPG device, and increased the number IoT gateways installed in the shield tunnel. Finally, we have successfully achieved 85% of the data availability in our second field test conducted in October and November 2018. In this paper, we demonstrate the PPG heart rate monitoring device, Bluetooth sensor network and application system used in the shield tunnel construction projects. In order to analyze worker's workload, we've established the standard procedure of measuring worker's Resting Heart Rate (RHR), the assessment method of Percentage of Reserve Heart Rate (%HRR) and Workload (%L), which can be applied as the guideline for arranging worker's shifts and tasks in the shield tunnel construction projects. © 37th International NO-DIG Conference and Exhibition 2019. All rights reserved.
Subjects
BLE; HRR; IoT; PPG; RHR; Workload
Other Subjects
Gateways (computer networks); Heart; Patient monitoring; Project management; Sensor networks; Shielding; Tunneling (excavation); Tunnels; Wearable technology; Data transmission rates; Electronic technologies; Heart-rate monitoring; International labor organizations; Photoplethysmography (PPG); Shield tunnel construction; Value added applications; Workload; Internet of things
Type
conference paper