An IC is a set of electronic circuits on a small plate called a chip that is generally made of semiconductor material such as silicon.

Wireless networks are made of many components including base units, antennas, radio, and cables. These components have functionalities that need to be tested for efficiency before they are deployed in wireless networks.

STBs are devices that are connected to a TV on a user's premises. These devices enable users to receive unencrypted subscribed channels through an addressable system for viewing encrypted channels.

RF devices employ RF technology used in wireless communication devices such as cellphones, tablets, notebooks, laptops, and ultrabooks. These devices are technologically advanced and compatible with 3G and 4G networks.

A fiber optic sensor is a device that employs optical fiber technology to transmit signals to amplifiers for processing.

Visible and near-infrared light interact via absorption and scattering with biomolecules, and a number of diagnostic tools based upon these interactions have been developed to indicate pathophysiological states and normal and diseased tissue. Additionally, the cyclic nature of these absorption or scattering events, such as those arising from cardiovascular or pulmonary physiology, has recently been shown to indicate trauma and cardiovascular status. The most commonly encountered diffuse optical technique is pulse oximetry, a form of photoplethysmography (PPG), where the distinct absorption behavior of oxygenation and non-oxygenation hemoglobin molecules forms a basis for determining arterial blood O2 saturation levels (SpO2). New analysis algorithms have shown that PPG can be used to indicate a variety of physiological conditions beyond hypoxic hypoxemia (i.e., low SpO2) including noncompressible hemorrhage, a condition notoriously difficult to diagnose without CT or MRI capabilities, and cardiac output, a variable difficult to measure in real time noninvasively. With support from the FY12 Biomedical Initiative Line, we embarked on a size, weight, and power (SWaP) analysis of PPG sensors, and collaborated with Professors Ki Chon and Yitzhak Mendelson from Worcester Polytechnic Institute to build a prototype ultra-low SWaP sensor. This report gives background and motivation for why PPG sensing is an important physiological modality, and details on the SWaP analysis and prototype development.

This pilot study tests the effects on individual performance of dyadic versus individual practice in a 3D virtual world (VW) home safety assessment. Sixty medical students in three conditions (dyadic spatially separated with paired avatars DPA; individual with avatar IND; and dyadic spatially together with single avatar DSA) participated in a geriatric home safety simulation. The participants, via avatars, conducted an assessment of physical hazards. Participants then worked individually in a separate 3D VW home assessment. Dyadic practice, spatially together with a single avatar (DSA), improved individual performance in the subsequent 3D VW home assessment.