DLR, Samsung and adesso Test Smartwatches for Health Monitoring in Isolation

From space missions to analogue missions to simulate space conditions or periods spent at polar stations, in extreme situations people live isolated from the outside world for weeks or months. Under such conditions, medical supervision is very important for the crew and the entire mission. Critically, direct medical care and access to local medical care facilities may only be available to a limited extent. Systems for health monitoring must therefore not only be reliable and safe, but also easy and reliable to operate by people who are not medical professionals.

Modern medical devices do not always meet these criteria. Although they provide high-quality data, they sometimes require complex wiring, correct placement of electrodes and expert interpretation of the information. In an isolated environment, it would be beneficial to have easy-to-use devices that record various health monitoring parameters. These devices and their data should be operable and interpretable by non-medical professionals. If possible, the health parameters should also be accessible by external medical personnel at any time.

Samsung smartwatches offer new perspectives

As a result, modern wearable systems such as smartwatches and other wearables offer a promising tool for health monitoring under isolation conditions to ensure accurate collection and transmission of medical data. Fitness watches for health monitoring enable everyday, continuous recording of vital parameters such as heart rate, activity level and sleep duration. They offer the benefit of a compact design, no wiring and easy operation. However, commercial wearables are usually tied to a particular manufacturer, so access to raw data and algorithms is limited. This makes scientific validation and comparison with established medical standards more difficult.

In the SOLIS8 isolation pilot study funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and conducted by the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine, smartwatches were therefore tested in cooperation with Samsung Germany and adesso as an alternative to conventional medical devices. In the study, six subjects spent eight days in isolation in a closed-off module at the :envihab aerospace medical research facility. This simulated a mission in space, with tight spatial constraints, limited contact with the outside world and a strict schedule.

SOLIS8 demonstrates data processing without mobile phones or cloud technology

As part of the SOLIS8 study, the partners were able to show that smartwatches are suitable for health monitoring even without intermediate devices such as smartphones or tablets. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra was directly connected to a local Wi-Fi network, eliminating the need for cloud connection. adesso developed the program for medical data acquisition and analysis for use in the isolation pilot study. Health data such as heart rate and step count were recorded, encrypted and processed locally.

Thanks to state-of-the-art encryption technology, the system meets the highest security requirements and thus prevents unauthorized access. This not only ensures the preservation of the health data as evidence, but also guarantees data protection under extreme conditions. Christian Kahlo, Chief Security Architect at adesso, says, “With SOLIS8, we were able to show that modern smartwatches can collect and process health data reliably even without a smartphone connection – securely, locally and without the cloud. The project is a great example of how technology, data protection and user-friendliness can work together.”

High acceptance thanks to easy operation

The smartwatches were worn by the SOLIS8 participants over the entire duration of the study – with the exception of charging phases. Intuitive use and targeted training of the participants before the start of isolation by employees of the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine and adesso were important for the use and success of the test. “The use of smartwatches in our pilot study has shown that these devices can be used for vital monitoring without intermediate devices such as mobile phones – even under the difficult conditions of complete isolation of participants,” say Dr Jens Hauslage and Dr Laura de Boni of the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine. “The high level of user acceptance and secure encryption open up new prospects for us – both in space travel and in areas such as remote research stations and telemedicine.”

High acceptance thanks to easy operation

The smartwatches were worn by the SOLIS8 participants over the entire duration of the study – with the exception of charging phases. Intuitive use and targeted training of the participants before the start of isolation by employees of the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine and adesso were important for the use and success of the test. “The use of smartwatches in our pilot study has shown that these devices can be used for vital monitoring without intermediate devices such as mobile phones – even under the difficult conditions of complete isolation of participants,” say Dr Jens Hauslage and Dr Laura de Boni of the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine. “The high level of user acceptance and secure encryption open up new prospects for us – both in space travel and in areas such as remote research stations and telemedicine.”