MINA-CM: Madrid Innovative Neurotech Alliance
Posted on by araujo

Neurotechnologies are achieving spectacular advances both in the treatment of pathologies of the
nervous system (with the reduction of enormous social and economic costs associated with these
diseases; with disability and mortality rates of 21M disabled, 1.2M deceased per year respectively in
Europe, costs >4% of GDP) as well as in other important areas, such as empowerment and extension
of brain capacities, brain-machine and brain-brain interfaces. The applications of these technologies
are immense, from the clinical aspects related with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of
neurological pathologies to the development of new computation systems, improvement of learning,
integration and connection of advanced devices with the nervous system.


The main goal of Madrid Innovative Neurotech Alliance (MINA-CM) is the innovation, development and application of advanced neurotechnological solutions in the Comunidad de Madrid.


The main objectives of MINA-CM are:
The development of multidisciplinary and interinstitutional biomedical R+D+i in neurotechnologies for
pathologies of the nervous system and improvement of brain capacities and interconnection through
physical and functional interfaces.
The attraction and incorporation of exceptional young researchers to R+D+i in neurotechnology in the Comunidad de Madrid.
The reinforcement and enhancement of the participation of the Comunidad de Madrid in international
networks and consortiums of R+D+I in neurotechnology.
The reinforcement, potentiation and integration of companies, in particular SMEs of high technology in a network of R+D+i in neurotechnology in the Comunidad de Madrid to favor international and national funding.

Title: MINA-CM – Madrid Innovative Neurotech Alliance
Duration: January 2023 – December 2026
Partners: UNIVERSIDAD POLITÉCNICA DE MADRID, UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE DE MADRID, CENTRO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTÍFICAS, HOSPITAL RAMÓN Y CAJAL, HOSPITAL CLÍNICO SAN CARLOS, HOSPITAL LA PAZ
Financing entity: Comunidad de Madrid, Programas de actividades de I+D entre grupos de investigación de la Comunidad de Madrid en Biomedicina 2022 (P2022/BMD-7236)

THOR – Building vascular networks and Blood-Brain-Barriers through a Biomimetic manufacturing Technology for the fabrication of Human tissues and Organs
Posted on by araujo

Tenths of millions of people with organ failures or suffering from degenerative diseases are waiting for a novel cellular therapy or for a transplant of a donor compatible organ and the immense majority of these patients will die before receiving the tissue or organ they need. Despite the significant advances in tissue engineering, not a single artificial tissue has been used to replace a part of an organ, with the exception of simple or avascular tissues like skin or cartilage. And the main impediment is the up-to-date impossibility to engineer physiological vascular networks to provide O2 and nutrients to the artificial tissue.

THOR solves this drawback with the combination of self-assembling molecules (SAM) inspired to the Extracellular matrix (ECM) to construct solid and hollow polymeric fibers, spiderbots to create self-assembling structures (SAS) and photoactivable crosslinkers-based  functionalization of the structures using SAM proteins. THOR tissue arises from high-resolution 3D spatial positioning of SAS, angiogenic factors and relevant cell lineages, reprogrammed and expanded in a dedicated bioreactor under controlled conditions.

B105 Electronics Systems Lab is in charge of the design and implementation of the spiderbots, as well as the integration with the rest of the technologies.

Title: THOR – Building vascular networks and Blood-Brain-Barriers through a Biomimetic manufacturing Technology for the fabrication of Human tissues and Organs
Duration: January 2023 – December 2026
Partners: UNIVERSIDAD POLITÉCNICA DE MADRID, UNIVERSITAETSKLINIKUM FREIBURG, ELVESYS, UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DELLA CAMPANIA LUIGI VANVITELLI, BIOACTIVE SURFACES, S.L.
Financing entity: HORIZON-EIC-2022-PATHFINDEROPEN-01 (GA 101099719)

More information:

https://www.thor-project.eu/

TFG: Design and implementation of an access control system based on NFC technology
Posted on by b105

The B105 Electronic Systems Lab has an electronic access system in its door based on a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) card reader. This system was developed more than 12 years ago so the technology (visit https://kurtuhlir.com/hire-to-speak/ to know more about it in detail) it uses is obsolete and several of its features are out of use. The development of this degree project is intended to implement an alternative to this access control system based on Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

The RFID system requires the use of physical cards, which are easily misplaced and force the user to carry them around with him/her to enter the laboratory. To solve this problem, the new system allows the users to open the door using their smartphone. This makes it even easier to enter the laboratory, as users always have their mobile phone with them. In addition, users are assigned specific entry times, providing greater security and a better access control to the laboratory.

There is an equipment reservation management service in the laboratory that already has a database of members, an application and an administration website. Therefore, these resources have been used to facilitate the implementation of the new system and avoid data replication on the server.

Once the system has been implemented, any user who is registered in the system and has certain permissions can open the door by bringing their mobile phone closer to the reader. To achieve this, the existing access system has been built on and relevant technologies have been studied.

The development and implementation work has been divided into three blocks: the NFC reader, the application and the server. The reader, integrated into the door opening system, acts as an intermediary between the application and the server. On the other hand, the application only has to emulate the access card and send the entry request. Then, the server evaluates this request checking the user information and its database and it sends a response to the reader. Depending on the message received, the reader opens the door or not and finally informs the user of the decision.

Certificación y pruebas del proyecto Demotherm
Posted on by Jose Martín

La pasada semana se realizó en las instalaciones de Therman (Gijón) la certificación del proyecto Demotherm ante el CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial). Durante esta visita no sólo se realizó la justificación del proyecto, sino que se aprovechó para realizar más pruebas con el robot desarrollado conjuntamente entre Therman, el Grupo de Ingeniería de los Procesos de Fabricación de la Universidad de Oviedo y el B105 Electronic Systems Lab de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 

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Estas pruebas se realizaron con todos los elementos del robot ya integrados (parte mecánica, hardware y software de control y bomba de agua) para evaluar el desempeño en la aplicación final para la que se ha diseñado. Además de las pruebas de corte de hormigón, se aprovechó para comprobar algunos parámetros de funcionamiento, como es la fuerza que ha de ejercer el robot contra las paredes para no caerse. Esto permite establecer los umbrales seguros de funcionamiento que habrá de mantener el robot durante su funcionamiento en los escenarios de uso. 

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Aplicación Android para la detección de barreras arquitectónicas
Posted on by albarc

Una de las dos líneas de desarrollo dentro del proyecto Lázaro está dedicada a la detección y caracterización de barreras arquitectónicas en edificios. Para ello en el B105 hemos desarrollado una aplicación Android aprovechando la plataforma de visión artificial Google Tango.

La aplicación está destinada a medir el ángulo de inclinación de las rampas de acceso para personas con movilidad reducida. Hasta ahora, los operarios que realizaban esta tarea debían efectuar medidas y cálculos a mano sobre las rampas. Con esta app la medida del ángulo consiste simplemente en un toque sobre la pantalla.

Para evitar posibles imperfecciones en la medida se le pide al usuario que realice dos mediciones de cada rampa, guardándose la media entre ambas. En la aplicación existe una pantalla de ayuda que explica el proceso al usuario.

Además de esto, en la aplicación pueden consultarse todas las medidas que se han realizado anteriormente con el dispositivo y hacer capturas de pantalla de las mediciones.