Wireless World: WiFi transforms transport

By Gene J. Koprowski
United Press International

Published 10/8/2004 11:02 AM
CHICAGO, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- An ambulance leaves a hospital driveway in central London, and before it passes Paddington Station, a dispatcher sends instructions to the paramedic and driver, directing them to a traffic accident just a few blocks a way. But unlike the millions of ambulance-routing assignments in the past -- made over the radio -- this one is completed over the Internet, via Wireless Fidelity technology. "We've gotten dispatching down to three seconds from three minutes," said Janet Boudris, chief executive officer of Broadbeam Corp., a developer of mobile wireless technologies, located in Cranbury, N.J. "With WiFi, you can pinpoint the nearest ambulance to an accident site," she told United Press International. "You can send directions to the driver and tell them how to avoid congestion in the area."Mobile, wireless technology is transforming transportation in Europe and America. Whether it is for medical emergencies, or commuting from Manhattan in New York City to Montauk, Long Island, mobile WiFi has emerged as a necessary accessory for many travelers today. Though complex to accomplish, WiFi data-and-voice transmissions can be switched, seamlessly, for those on the go, with a sophisticated mix of software and hardware. The London ambulance service, implemented by Broadbeam, is a typical example of the kind of technology integration that is taking place. "It's about leveraging technology in an innovative way," Boudris said. "Five hundred ambulances have the equipment."The medical messages being sent over the air are encrypted and authenticated using so-called server push technologies, which direct the information to the intended recipient. The technologies used also include 802.11 wireless protocols. They allow dispatchers to direct drivers to crash sites, and paramedics to relay EKG and EEG signals directly to an emergency room, so doctors can know a patient's status the moment he or she arrives at the facility. "The transmissions switch automatically between five networks," Boudris said, "but the driver and the medical technician never have to think about it -- they can just do their job." E-mail: sciencemail [at] upi.com