LoRa Network Based Wearable Tracker- A Preliminary Work

Abstract

In Malaysia, it is reported that many deaths are linked to heart-related complications. Many of these deaths are preventable if the caretaker can be notified of the warning signs leading to the complication. However, appointing a caretaker to monitor a patient around the clock is virtually impossible. The objective of this project is to create a system to notify the caretakers in real-time of the locations of the patients and warn them of possible risks of complications. The proposed system uses the LoRa Network to communicate without needing communication towers or routers as intermediaries. The development of the prototype using the Iterative Waterfall Model is focused on the feasibility of this technology to be equipped in a small tracker device powered by a lightweight lithium battery and to find a way to bridge the connection between the LoRa network and smartphones since currently, there is yet to be a smartphone that comes equipped with such technology. At the end of the project, it is concluded and verified by the testing done that it is indeed feasible to use LoRa as a means of transferring critical information, as it can transmit information for over 100-meters without the need for any intermediary device to facilitate the communications. However, further testing in urban areas and in different weather conditions is needed if such devices are widely used in real-life applications.