Development of an IoT-Based Construction Worker Physiological Data Monitoring Platform at High Temperatures

• Main Authors: Jung Hoon Kim, Byung Wan Jo, Jun Ho Jo, Do Keun Kim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
• Series: Sensors
• Subjects: physiological data; monitoring; smart band; construction worker; fuzzy logic
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/19/5682

This study presents an IoT-based construction worker physiological data monitoring platform using an off-the-shelf wearable smart band. The developed platform is designed for construction workers performing under high temperatures, and the platform is composed of two parts: an overall heat assessment (OHS) and a personal management system (PMS). OHS manages the breaktimes for groups of workers based using a thermal comfort index (TCI), as provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), while PMS assesses the individual health risk level based on fuzzy theory using data acquired from a commercially available smart band. The device contains three sensors (PPG, Acc, and skin temperature), two modules (LoRa and GPS), and a power supply, which are embedded into a microcontroller (MCU). Thus, approved personnel can monitor the status as well as the current position of a construction worker via a PC or smartphone, and can make necessary decisions remotely. The platform was tested in both indoor and outdoor environment for reliability, achieved less than 1% of error, and received satisfactory feedback from on-site users.