DOHA: RASAD, a joint project between Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) and Aspetar- Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, became the first Qatari ICT project to be put to use by an international organisation, with an historic agreement yesterday.
The partnership with LCR Honda, enables it to become a lead customer and development partner of the RASAD platform which remotely monitors the physiological strain imposed on riders.
As an ICT solution, RASAD uses a variety of sensors to collect data and transmit them over wireless or wired networks to a central server that processes the data and provides real-time customised graphical interfaces and services.
"RASAD utilises two-way communication technology to send data over a network. It does not depend on any specific kind of sensor and so has wide application," said Hamad Al Kuwari, Acting Managing Director, QSTP.
"It is one of the first technology of its kind, developed right here in Qatar, and has applications across multiple platforms. We are very excited to be partnering with LCR Honda on this project as RASAD will be providing solutions to improve the well-being and performance of Honda LCR riders."
The project had initially aimed at creating a platform to effectively capture health and exercise related data in the common people in Qatar. It brings-in existing sensor, wireless and database technologies into one seamless solution to collect movement and physiological data in real time from an individual and send this to a central server.
Using the present agreement, LCR Honda will be able to study the effect of speed, heat and other physiological and environmental factors on its MotoGP riders.
MotoGP requires riders to maintain near maximum effort to control their motorbikes during high speed accelerations and through extreme braking and cornering. In addition, riders often endure extreme environmental conditions inducing thermal strain. Their protective clothing limits heat dissipation, exacerbating the physiological and thermal strain, which can reduce the ability to produce a voluntary force and induce significant cognitive impairments. RASAD checks the heat rate, blood pressure, temperature and many other factors. The data can be used to develop solutions which can help riders to use their maximum potential on the track ensuring their health and well being.
"MotoGP relies on combining the latest technologies with talented riders to gain a competitive edge. By working with Aspetar and QSTP we hope to characterise the physical strain imposed on our riders under different conditions and develop the appropriate countermeasures to ensure they not only reach the start line in peak condition, but are able to perform at their best," said Lucio Cecchinello, LCR Honda Team Manager
The platform can be used in multiple industries from sports to human health monitoring, from transportation to environment, and from safety to life style depending on type of sensors used.
The platform captures and analyses data in real time and can deal with an unlimited number of data sources and unlimited number of outlets. It can also be scaled to support thousands of concurrent monitoring sessions in real-time. Its innovation in the areas of scalability and usability will be supplemented in the future with unique components developed to specifically address certain applications.
© The Peninsula 2010
