Head’s up, FirstNet–Here comes wearable technology

The different types of sensors that might be available to public safety can include three generalized types: passive, interactive, and responsive. Further categories can be applied, such as environmental sensing, communications enabling, and situationally adaptive devices. Sensors currently on the market can track motion, location, biometrics—for instance, heart rate, pulse, blood pressure—and environment conditions like oxygen availability, carbon-monoxide levels, smoke, temperature, pressure and humidity.

As for location-related sensors, orientation and position can be of critical importance. A sudden change in any of these may indicate a fall, for example. Sensors that detect sound and noise (or even record voice) can be used for gunshot or explosion detection. In a scenario in which multiple users are equipped with sensors, triangulation and other technologies can be leveraged to determine the location of personnel or of a sound.

Sensors and their interfaces can take many forms, from the above-mentioned Google Glass to wristbands, ear pieces, and sensor-embedded clothing or equipment. For example, service items and tools could be tagged with RFID and provide proximity-related capabilities. Some of these range from an indication of the loss or displacement of an item to the deactivation of the device—for instance, a service revolver could require the sensor confirmation that it is in close proximity to the appropriate user to permit discharging). Indeed, the applications seem limited only by the imagination and practicality.

Because of the technology’s robustness, interactivity and responsiveness to situational and environmental changes, wearable technology—especially the head’s up variety—has the potential to be the most widely used devices operating on FirstNet. In fact, there may be a day when sensors and the services they provide are considered as important as mission-critical voice. This could be especially true if, in some future development, sensors provide two-way voice communication on a fundamentally more robust platform. With this in mind, do not be surprised if the most profound use of FirstNet is for communications by, and with, wearable sensors.

Edmond ‘Ed’ Vea is a consultant to government and industry, focusing on mission-critical networks. Vea has more than 20 years experience designing, building, testing, optimizing and operating wireless communications systems using technologies such as GSM, CDMA, P25, TETRA, 802.11, 802,16, 2G, 3G, and 4G LTE.