May 23, 2024
Students transmit health care data without cell service, internet
By Caitlin Hayes
Sophia Lin ’25, left, and Steven Sun ’25, right, set up their all-in-one device that transmits blood pressure data via low-frequency radio waves.
The challenge for a group of students in Professor Max Zhang’s Internet of Things course was to take their own data from a blood pressure cuff and send it to Cayuga Health System – without internet or cell service.
The group’s success provides a proof of concept that could enable and improve the in-home care and health monitoring of people in rural and urban settings, including approximately 4,000 residents in Tompkins County. The project is one of seven in Zhang’s course, which pairs student groups with community partners to leverage Internet of Things (IoT) technology, using a form of low-frequency radio, to provide services in areas without cellular or broadband access.
Einhorn Center funding supported the creation of the course.
