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of Linux real-time operating systems (RTOS)
and by creating platforms that span across
academia and industry with the same chip
set. By combining LabVIEW RIO architec-
ture with technologies such as NI DIAdem
and NI InsightCM for data management
and data aggregation, customers can design,
build and test IoT devices throughout their
product design cycle and perform preventa-
tive maintenance with a common platform
and architecture.
The Internet of Things is already impacting
our lives greatly. We have become increasingly
dependent on personal devices such as smart-
phones and tablets and home devices such
as the Nest thermostat and Philips Hue light
bulbs. Meanwhile, the healthcare Internet of
Things market segment is poised to hit $117
billion by 2020 using smart and connected
sensors that allow patients to stream data to
the medical infrastructure for diagnosis and
prognosis. Devices such as fitness wearables
and smart watches have just begun to emerge
in the marketplace, and researchers are
actively developing technologies for in-home
rehabilitation and even intelligent prostheses.
In this market, Cyberlegs is a European FP-7
project led by Professor Paolo Dario of the
Bio Robotics Institute at the Scuola Supe-
riore Sant’Anna di Pisa in Italy. The project
aims to develop an artificial cognitive system
for lower-limb functional replacement for
trans-femoral amputees. The goal is a mul-
tidegree-of-freedom system with the ability to
replace the lower limb and otherwise assist the
patient. Dr. Nicola Vitiello, who is responsible
for developing and integrating the Cyberlegs
system, used CompactRIO extensively to cre-
ate initial prototypes and validate subsystems
and control algorithms to predict accurate
walking gaits for different patients. Using the
ZynqSoC scalability in an NI SOM drastically
decreased the footprint and power consump-
tion required. Dr. Vitiello took advantage of
the platform adaptability and was able to push
the intelligence closer to the sensor and actua-
tors in order to upgrade the prosthesis with a
fully active knee. This development will allow
patients to perform additional maneuvers such
as negotiating stairs and walking on slopes.
The three fundamental pillars of smart systems and the Internet of Things are intelligent edge
systems, the system of systems and end-to-end analytics. Devices are becoming increasingly
intelligent and defined through software.
