Signature - Q1, 2008 - (Page 19) By Mike Sharsky | Illustration by Clare Nicholas | Q1 ’08 Bluetooth Wireless Bluetooth Wireless Scientists now know that conditions of spaceflight, such as extended periods in zero gravity, can adversely affect the human body. To monitor the unique health challenges facing astronauts, NASA has been developing systems that could take Bluetooth technology into orbit. The agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, has worked on two such projects. One keeps track of unusual heart rhythms that can result from exposure to zero gravity, which causes an astronaut’s heart to float freely inside the chest cavity. The other system, called PUMA (Portable Exacting technical tolerances are crucial in space. Unit for Metabolic Analysis), helps gauge To help conquer challenges like portability and clutter, fitness by measuring respiration gasses. Similar systems monitor earthbound NASA is exploring Bluetooth technology. athletes and patients. But NASA requires portability, light weight and pinpoint accuracy. The agency is investigating the use of Bluetooth technology to help meet these needs in space. For the heart monitor and PUMA, a Bluetooth wireless connection provides the same benefits as it does on Earth: reliable short-range data transmission without cable clutter. During missions, NASA has documented cases of abnormal heart rhythms in astronauts who appear to be in peak physical condition. The heart monitor uses a very sensitive electrocardiogram; its data can be sent wirelessly to an Internet connection that transmits readings to flight surgeons on the ground. PUMA has been tested for use on the International Space Station, where NASA’s current fitness-measurement system is a fixed unit. PUMA’s portable face mask, which uses Bluetooth technology for data transmission, means astronauts could have their fitness measured as they move about the station. Where weight and portability are vital considerations, Bluetooth wireless technology may help mankind more safely and efficiently explore the galaxy. For more information on these and other NASA projects, visit nasa.gov. EXPLORER To Boldly Go Wireless Bluetooth Special Interest Group | 19 http://www.nasa.gov
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