Has the electronics industry done enough tackling the pandemic? How have design engineers responded to Covid-19? The spread of the virus has renewed calls for technology innovation. Whither the tech industry and its cutting-edge technology innovations? critics ask.
The semiconductor industry is nothing without innovation. Critics are missing the point: The semiconductor industry operates on design cycles, which are continually shrinking. But nothing can be designed and taped out overnight.
On the other end of the spectrum, misconceptions have reached the tech industry’s doorstep. Take, for example, false claims about an RFID chip being implanted into a Covid-19 vaccine. A TikTok clip uploaded on YouTube suggested a chip could be implanted on a human finger to log-in to a computer or activate a vending machine.
What actually happened is that the U.S. Defense Department awarded a $138 million contract to ApiJect Systems America to produce syringes for a Covid-19 vaccine when available. The syringe would implant an RFID chip to help healthcare workers track the time and place of the vaccination.
There are also numerous and false rumors about smartphone apps and wearable gadgets designed to both track the spread of coronavirus and those who may have contracted it. Design details are usually scarce or non-existent.
Has the electronics industry done enough to respond to the Covid-19 crisis? We’ve looked into many fronts electronic engineers have worked thus far to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
With that in mind, EDN is focusing on real design solutions related to diagnostics, treatment, surveillance and prevention of the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Our Special Project includes:
Majeed Ahmad examines the new design ecosystem built around the fight against the coronavirus.
Elsewhere, design engineers are leveraging existing wireless and sensor technologies to create solutions for avoiding contaminated surfaces in elevators and kiosks. Rich Quinnell has the details.
Junko Yoshida explores the prospects for ultrasonic sensors and what they can do to creating social distancing and contact tracing applications.
Asem Elshimi explores ubiquitous BLE connectivity, which has enormous potential for digital contact tracing using RSSI and direction-finding technologies.
In Part 2, Elshimi takes a closer look at devices like Bluetooth bracelets, which could expedite contact tracing without compromising user privacy.
Elshimi next considers that design considerations required to make Bluetooth bracelets a viable healthcare device.
Lastly, a discussion of a working bracelet design, including a Bluetooth SoC, antenna, a coin-cell battery and the underlying software that makes it all work.
Connor Connaughton and Eduardo Bartolome take a closer look at molecular diagnostics and the components required as building blocks for Covid testing.
Chip makers are adding software tricks to reference designs built around their BLE chips to allow designers to quickly develop patient monitoring and tracing platforms.
Professional athletes on soccer pitches, basketball courts and baseball diamonds are resuming play. Yoelit Hiebert takes a closer look at some of the wearable devices that could help track infections among athletes in order to keep teams on the field.
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