The WiSAR Technology Gateway, based in ATU Letterkenny, is part of the Technology Gateway Network, a nationwide resource, delivering solutions on near-to-market problems for industrial partners.
WiSAR delivers industry focused technology solutions in all sectors of the economy that require data collection, data abstraction, visualization, and analysis, often using wireless networks.
The Gateway is also a member of Applied IoT, a specialized Technology Gateway cluster focused on the Internet of Things technology stack. This collaboration and co-operation provide industry with access to over 100 researchers and engineers, ensuring they receive access to the relevant expertise and skills.
What is the WiSAR Technology Gateway?
The WiSAR Technology Gateway is an access point to the Wireless Sensor Applied Research Lab and the Department of Engineering and Computer Science at ATU Letterkenny, providing industry with consultancy and applied research services in electronics and software, with a dedicated pool of experienced engineers, academics, and research staff. The Gateway has a strong focus on smart devices and connected industries.
WiSAR’s core strengths are applied to three research strands:
- The Internet of Things (IoT)
- Health Monitoring
- Industrial Control
These specialisms enable the delivery of a wide range of product and system solutions across many market sectors including Industry 4.0, Renewable Energy, Medtech, Agritech, and ICT.
WiSAR designs products and system solutions from our Internet of Things (IoT) technology stack. At the lowest level this means the design of bespoke electronic circuit boards using expertise in wireless networking, embedded systems, and industrial sensors. The Gateway utilise IoT devices to collect data and track location and edge computing to organize and store data, which then enables data visualization and interpretation on cloud platforms or using bespoke Apps, developed in- house.
Health Monitoring includes the design of body-worn and off-body sensors. This requires expertise in bespoke sensor development, for example using fabrics, antenna design, data signal processing and application software.
Industrial control projects involve the design of control board circuits, embedded firmware using micro-controllers or single board computers and machine interface software. This theme also encompasses Industry 4.0 trends such as the digitization of manufacturing and real-time tracking of the production process.
What expertise is available at WiSAR?
WiSAR is home to an extensive team of researchers and engineers working on a wide range of collaborative R&D industry projects and is equipped with a state-of-the-art test bench, connectivity devices, industrial sensors, antennae and digital controllers, for the design of prototypes and the optimisation of industrial processes. This expertise enables WiSAR to work with many product design companies to produce advanced near-to-market prototypes.
Technical expertise available in WiSAR include the following:
- Electronic circuit design
- Firmware engineering including wireless
- Antenna design and test
- Application software development
- Data visualization and data analytics expertise
- Machine learning and AI expertise
- Prototype manufacture
- Wireless networking
- Lean manufacturing consultancy
Facilities include:
- Extensive RF test equipment with coverage to 40GHz
- LCR Meter
- An 8-layer PCB prototyping system for rigid and flexible PCBs
- Semi-automatic pick and place system and reflow oven for SMT assembly.
- Portable 3D Scanning Measurement Arm for contact and non-contact measurements
- 3D Printing facilities
- Wireless testbeds – LoRa, Sigfox, Zigbee and others
What type of companies do WiSAR collaborate with?
WiSAR supports and collaborates with all types of companies from start-ups and SMEs right through to large multinationals. For both indigenous and multinational companies, the Gateway offers a form of partnership and collaboration that provides leading edge R&D services to corporations operating within Ireland.
Companies can access services through a range of Enterprise Ireland supports such as the Innovation Voucher Programme, Innovation Partnerships, Feasibility Studies or the Agile Innovation fund. Companies also have the option to fund projects directly themselves.
WiSAR has a dedicated ready-made R&D infrastructure which can be applied to industry problems of all sizes and in several instances, can become an external R&D source for companies that come through their doors. Projects engagement can happen at any stage in the product development lifecycle with an outcome up to an advanced prototype, Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL7).
For more information on WiSAR Technology Gateway, get in touch, follow on Twitter, or check out their website.