The Internet of Things

           The MolluSCAN eye project belongs to the Internet of Things which is is the interconnection of uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices within the existing Internet infrastructure.

Taking measurements:

• The project uses very light electromagnets weighing less than one gram (included in a resin) attached to each of two valves in bivalves. .
• The remote electronic monitoring system is composed of two parts. A waterproof encased unit which is submersed next to the animals acquires data and sends it to an above-water, dry unit which transmits the data via cellular network to the master server at the project’s lab (Marine Biological Station of Arcachon, France), using a GSM/GPRS module
• The remote device is a rugged, full-blown microcomputer system running the Linux operating system. The two parts of the device collectively draw a low one Watt of power which can be supplied by battery or solar. The waterproof unit consumes one third Watt and can run standalone as a data logger. And due to amplification processes which have been significantly improved with technology and experience gained from the intense research over the years, the precision of the critical distance measured between electrodes is about 3 µm.
• Have a look to a paper by the Telit Company who provided us with GSM/GPRS modules when we started the project.
  
  The project uses very light electromagnets weighing less than one gram attached to each of two valves in bivalves. The animals are continuously monitored to measure the valve’s opening movements. The remote electronic monitoring system is composed of two parts. A waterproof encased unit which is submersed next to the animals acquires data and sends it to an above-water, dry unit which transmits the data via cellular network to the master server at the project’s lab using a Telit UC864-G GSM/GPRS module. - See more at: http://m2mworldnews.com/2013/04/19/68743-telit-technology-enables-the-molluscan-eye-project/#sthash.9se2fjtR.dpu

The electronics of the valvometer covers four main functions:

1 - Measuring the opening of the valves:

• magnetic measurement principle not affected by the water physico-chemistry
• sensitive and protected against disturbances
• linearity correction giving an output signal representing the distance between valves expressed directly in mm
• scale: 0 to 35 mm with a maximum precision of 3 µm

2 – Multiplexing on the 16 animals:

• 16 tracks, extendable in multiples of 16
• sampling period: adjustable from 50 ms

The electronic equipment is composed of two parts. A waterproof encased unit which is submersed next to the animals. A dry unit which transmits the data via cellular network (GPRS or directly ethernet sockets) to the master server at our lab in Arcachon, France.

3 - Data handling

The remote device is a rugged, full-blown microcomputer system running the Linux operating system. The two parts of the device collectively draw a low one Watt of power which can be supplied by battery or solar. The waterproof unit consumes one third Watt and can run standalone as a data logger. And due to amplification processes which have been significantly improved with technology and experience gained from the intense research over the years, the precision of the critical distance measured between electrodes is reliably very high.

4 – Transferring recordings

Data collected from the monitored mollusks in the field are analyzed in the Data Center in Arcachon, France. During the last year the program we use at the project’s server have evolved significantly with the hastened pace of research. Multiple PhD thesis are in progress. Mathematicians have developed a keen interest in the project not only because they are helping protect the planet, but also because each remote monitoring unit produces a robust 864,000 triplets of data points per day every day

The output of this electronic devices is embedded within the internet infrastructure. It is today a working example of the Internet of Things.

The author has published a paper entitled: “Les Postes d'Electrophysiologie - Conception, montage, câblage”, available at: www.epoc.u-bordeaux.fr/images/ciret.pdf

Abstract: Originally written to optimise the design of electrophysiology stations, this paper gives all sorts of hints for getting rid of problems of static interference, ground loops, background noise, in measuring or instrument systems.

Key words: instrumentation - interference - electromagnetic compatibility - 50 Hertz – ground loops