A new research project that could have implications for smart grid technology across a number of industries, is spending £2.3 million on developing 'end-to-end connectivity’ applications and services for the healthcare sector.
Project Hydra is a new consortium led by UK
smart grid technology company
Onzo and backed by the
Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and the Engineering and UK Physical Sciences Research Council (ESPRC). Its aim is to use smart grid
technology to develop future applications and services for multiple industries, using '
telehealth’ as an example application.
Telehealth is the delivery of health-related services and information via telecommunications technologies, such as using email to communicate with patients. A smart grid is a modernised electricity network that uses two-way digital technology to control appliances at consumers' homes to
save energy and reduce cost.
Using smart grid technology, Project Hydra aims to expand telehealth applications to more complex actions, such as sending information on a person’s weight and blood pressure to their healthcare professional wirelessly and securely.
Onzo is developing the technology alongside eight other partners, including smart grid solutions providers Atmel, Echelon Corporation, and Silver Spring Networks. Other backers include Brunel University, Chorleywood Health Centre, Innova Partnerships and Scottish and Southern Energy.
The consortium is investing £1.5 million into Project Hydra, while the rest of the funding is coming from the TSB and ESPRC following a competitive tender.
Project Hydra is set to complete its research in 2011, by which time it aims to have developed smart meters (or devices that connect to smart meters) for telehealth and to have developed open-architecture standards that will allow telehealth devices from many suppliers to interoperate. It is also wants to have found ways to locate people while preserving their privacy using a universal smart meter wireless communications network.
Project Hydra aims to improve healthcare provision and cut costs The healthcare sector was chosen as the test-bed for Project Hydra because of the implications smart meter technology could have on improving healthcare and cutting costs at a time when there are increasing pressures on the system.
"With aging populations and the number of people with long term health needs increasing, the pressure on global healthcare systems is immense. It is becoming harder to deliver the services people need and current telecare developments are small scale and fragmented," said Dr Russell Jones, lead clinician at Chorleywood Health Centre. "Project Hydra extends the vision of smart metering, leveraging a cost effective and secure infrastructure to deliver an end-to-end solution that will suit both the patients and healthcare professionals."
Although the healthcare sector will be the direct beneficiary of the research, Neil Tierney, Research and Development director at Onzo, said Project Hydra opened up opportunities for numerous other sectors.
"By developing a technology that is effective, secure, simple to use and allows interoperability between devices, Project Hydra opens up opportunities for more than just the healthcare sector. End-to-end connectivity can bring value added services to energy, water, home automation, security and sectors we haven’t even thought of yet," he said.
Related news: Green technology newsEnergy efficiency newsRelated links:www.projecthydra.info
