Whenever anyone has a problem to solve, I am reluctant to go to "my shelves" because I feel if there is an "off-the-shelf solution, in the marketplace, it will have history, and it should be the first choice.

The following is the beginning of a LIST:

2) Ultrasonic Ranging
Ultrasonic Doppler/ranging transducer. Developed for use in a system for remote monitoring of impaired drivers (DWI). [1]

3) Microwave Ranging system
Microwave Ranging system. (under development now, for "Blind Spot Enervation."
This is an informal cooperative project with DOT/NHTSA at VTRC near Marysville, OH.
<http://www4.ncsu.edu/eos/users/g/gaw/public/z-lane/autordar.htm>

4) LASER Based, Portable VR Position Sensing System (Virtual Reality)
Portable VR position sensing system, LASER based. This approach uses a rotating NIR LASER utilizing a vertically spread-beam that covers the area with a swept light envelop (light house effect). The person being monitored wears (in the VR application) a helmet that is festooned with very small hemispherical optical light receptor/pipes connected by fiber bundles to fast pin or avalanche photo detectors. Further, the laser is being modulated with data that is the instantaneous rotational position of the illuminating beam (>12 bit shaft encoder).

The helmet electronics in turn transmits, via RF wireless, that data as well as data pertaining which sensor was illuminated when... The host computer at the stationary end of this system then interprets the data and deduces the person's location, their body orientation, their head position in all axis's. The only information is "eye position," which in the case of VR, is not a problem.

5)

----------------------------to be continued...

It is refreshing to talk with someone, in your position, who is embarking on such an ambitious project, with such a pragmatic/real world approach. This is certainly an issue that has needed addressing to the degree of detail and rigor you intend.

I realize that your task is to draw a strategic plan, which begets the funding, the people, and the resources & infrastructure; then you look at it tactically, i.e., understand the problem(s) and the technologies--both existing (off-the-shelf) and the less than mature, but promising--leading edge--that might be brought to bear.

From my prospective, I am an applications oriented person, with finite tolerance for the strategic "big picture." If I have any strengths, it's that I am familiar with "what's out there," and I love to play! I love to do--or try to do--what has not been done before. My weakness, I have not a clue how to capitalize on what I come up with. Oh, well, two out of three ain't bad.

If I had the task of planning for such a project I think that--because of my limited familiarity with such an environment, and because engineering/design is to first understand the problem. I personally, would need to first go to a "clean-up" site and spend a few days observing and video taping a typical scenario, and then spend a few more days actually working in the real environment, to better understand those things that are not always obvious "to-the-most-casual-observer."

In fact, it occurs to me that if one taped while another person worked with each "wired" such that running commentary and, questions and answers (--"why are you lifting that box that way?") become part of the taped Documentary's, then exchange places, and do it again!

___________________________________

The wire mesh suit idea is a great idea.

However, I do know that a lot of talented people have gone down in flames trying to just instrument--outside the lab, for extended times--one axis: an elbow, shoulder joint or a knee joint, even wrist movement.

Having said that, I also know that many of these people were like experiential physicist, who need to make a measurement(s), and begin connecting wires and cables (by the 55 gallon barrel) until they get what they are looking for--or NOT!

They, of course, could, have called in an instrumentation engineer to help? Or, my personal favorite, they could have taken the time to teach themselves, or taken an instrumentation course, then they would have known what The Hell they were doing!

Unfortunately, I have found that when you are trying to do something that has not been previously done, the last thing you need, is to hear from that "oh, someone has already tried that, and they couldn't get to work--so, of course, it can't be done!"

The wire mesh suit idea is a great idea.

However, I do know that a lot of talented people have gone down in flames trying to just instrument--outside the lab--one axis: an elbow, shoulder joint or a knee joint, even wrist movement.

Having said that, I also know that many of these people were like experiential physicist, who need to make a measurement(s), and begin connecting wires and cables (by the 55 gallon barrel) until they get what they are looking for--or NOT!

They, of course, could, have called in an instrumentation engineer to help? Or, my personal favorite, they could have taken the time to teach themselves, or taken an instrumentation course, then they would have known what The Hell they were doing!

Unfortunately, I have found that when you are trying to do something that has not been previously done, that last thing you need is to hear that someone has already tried that, and they failed--so it can't be done!

R F I D

Also it is placed under the skin of animals--pets, cattle, etc.--to prevent theft or loss. It is the size of a small vitamin capsule (3 mm x 8 mm) and it has the property of not needing batteries, and has a unique 64 bit address.

Also, it comes in the form of a credit card, and is used as a key which does not need to be taken from the wallet to work. When you are within one meter or less of the small interrogation antenna, the pill is interrogated, the attached, database checked, and if you have permission, the door unlocks. In the automotive embodiment, the pill is smaller and is physically part of the ignition key.

In all instances: it is passive (no batteries), it holds a unique 64 bit address (plus scratch pad ram), it is interrogated by a 134 kHz burst, lasting ~50 msec causing it to transmit its 64 bit address to the interrogator in milliseconds at a maximum distance of one meter(or greater with more pwr).

It is directional, that is if you had two devices in or on your hand (gloved), and they were at different angles from one another, the one that was most orthogonal to the plane of the interrogating field (loop antenna)is detected first (strongest of the two).

TIRIS (TI subsidiary) temic, are two companies that make this technology.

I can envision a "suit" that has these TIRIS pills (3 mm x 6 mm) sewn at strategic locations on the suit, and an array of small loop antennas in each glove (or wrist band). As the worker moves about, and handles things, the relative locations, as well as, positions (attitudes) of the hands can be determined and recorded (also, real-time alerting of hazards).

Also, any tool, device, or object can be "tagged" with a TIRIS transpondor (pill or card) allowing the recording of which device was used, and when, and for how long.

NOTE:Two or more "pills" stitched in a radial arrangement, would allow the determination of the relative orientation of the worker's hand within ~ 35 degrees (in a flat plane), and the relative proximity to a resolution of ~ 1.5 to 2 inches may be possible.