Guardian Angels for a Smarter Life

The project Guardian Angels for a Smarter Life is a research platform in nanoscience, zero-power research and advanced ICT headed by Prof Adrian Ionescu (EPF Lausanne) and Prof Christofer Hierold () . The project assembles a pan-European network - 28 academic, R&D and industrial partners from 13 European countries - to create intelligent and autonomous systems serving individuals in their daily lives. It will meet the technological challenge of weaving together energy efficient information processing, sensing, communication and energy harvesting. On 5 May 2011, the Guardian Angels project was elected as one of six FET Flagship Pilots, competing for funding in the 1 billion EUR strong FET Flagship programme
. It is scheduled to run from 2013 - 2023 if accepted in the FET Flagship programme.
Technology

The “Guardian Angels for a Smarter Life” (GA) FET Flagship will create three generations of energy-efficient smart personal companions that will assist human beings from infancy to old age. These devices will be intelligent, autonomous systems-of-systems featuring sensing beyond human capabilities, computation, and communication. The project goal is to develop environmentally-friendly, battery-free technologies for these electronic personal assistants, so that they will harvest their own energy rather than requiring an external power source. The objectives of the project are divided into three interdependent categories:
* scientific objectives centered on ultra-low power concepts,
* novel technology, material and device integration solutions, and
* visionary zero-power autonomous systems demonstrators
The project uses a multidisciplinary approach to make disruptive scientific progress, which in turn leads to the advanced engineered applications which are the project’s measureable goals. The enabling technologies created in the GA project will substantially boost innovation in advanced Information and Communication Technology and manifest Europe’s leading position in nano and microelectronics. Many important European industry sectors such as health, energy, environment, transportation, and security will profit significantly from these technologies. Uniting 28 partners from 13 countries, the GA consortium is already cooperating closely with companies interested in future technologies and potential products. The range of multidisciplinary research results will lead to the creation of new start-ups and hence of new jobs. As GA is truly a pan-European venture - from Ireland to Poland, from Finland to Italy - the funds as well as the future benefits are well-distributed all over Europe.
Applications

The GA flagship project will show the feasibility and functionality of devices in three pre-defined generations of demonstrators. The applications are based on the concept of a smarter life, e.g. a lifestyle that benefits from the instant availability of relevant information, more interconnectedness between devices fitted with all sorts of sensors, and intuitive usability:
* Physical GA: These devices will monitor the physical status of individuals in sports, rehabilitation, health and day care, with an awareness of the context of activity of these individuals.
* Environmental GA: These devices will observe ambient conditions for environmental threats, and will be able to communicate with each other to expand their information base.
* Emotional GA: These devices will be able to perceive emotional or affective conditions, and could provide helpful functions for the disabled, or could serve to build new generations of smart-driver assistants for automotive and airborne applications. Emotional GAs featuring high data security and enhanced personal control will certainly lead to novel societal paradigms that allow improved cognition, communication and prevention
.
On an individual level, anyone could benefit from a personal assistant acting as a modern day Guardian Angel, focusing on prevention in health and on personal safety, with the goal of maintaining or improving his or her quality of life in a modern, sustainable society. To achieve this, the GA consortium will work in close cooperation with different social stakeholders, interest groups and future users. Special attention will be paid to data security, and to environmentally friendly, energy-efficient and economically feasible solutions. Key issues that will be researched in parallel to the scientific challenges are user acceptance, ethical, legal and societal dimensions, and interface design.
Consortium
Universities
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Research institutions
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS (France)
[http://www.cttc.es/index.jsp Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (Spain])
[http://www.cea.fr/ Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives CEA (France])
Consorzio Nationale Interuniversitario per la Nanoelettronica IUNET (Italy)
[http://www.csem.ch CSEM Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique SA - Recherche et Développement (Switzerland])
Instytut Technologii Elektronowej ITE (Poland)
Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum VZW (Belgium)
SiNANO Institute (France)
Tyndall National Institute University College Cork (Ireland)
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (Finland)
Companies
HiQScreen SARL (Switzerland)
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Infineon Technologies AG (Germany)
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NXP Semiconductors Netherlands BV (Netherlands)
[http://en.sanofi.com/ Sanofi Aventis Recherche & Développement (France])
[http://www.senarclens.com Senarclens, Leu & Partner AG (Switzerland])
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Stichting IMEC Nederland (Netherlands)
[http://www.st.com/internet/com/home/home.jsp STMicroelectronics Crolles 2 SAS (France])
Thales SA (France)
Links
Project website http://www.ga-project.eu/ga_project
EU FET Flagship Pilots http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/fet/flagship/6pilots_en.html
EU Flagship Programme http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/fet/flagship/

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