Vital Signs and Hydration Monitoring for Military Application Via GSM Module
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11113/jmeditec.v5.80Keywords:
Vital signs, Oxygen saturation, Skin moisture monitoring, Wearable sensors, GSM communication, Military health, Remote monitoring, Photoplethysmography (PPG)Abstract
Health and readiness are critical for military personnel operating in demanding and extreme environments. Conditions such as hypoxia and dehydration-related physiological changes can adversely affect soldiers' performance and safety. These situations highlight the need for continuous physiological monitoring during military operations. This study presents a cost-effective, GSM-integrated wearable system for monitoring blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), heart rate, body temperature and skin moisture conditions in real time. The proposed system utilizes an ESP32 microcontroller integrated with a MAX30102 sensor and a capacitive Moisture Click sensor, with remote alerts transmitted via a GSM communication module to facilitate timely medical intervention. Performance evaluation involving five healthy subjects demonstrated that the MAX30102 sensor produced SpO2 readings between 97% and 99%, with a maximum deviation of ±1.33% relative to the MX450 Patient Monitor. Temperature and heart rate measurements exhibited deviations of within ±0.5°C and ±5 bpm, respectively. In addition, the Moisture Click sensor successfully differentiated three skin moisture conditions, namely very dry, dry and hydrated, with classifications comparable to those obtained using the Corneometer CM 825. The GSM module also demonstrated reliable data transmission over varying distances. These findings highlight the potential of low-cost wearable technologies for supporting physiological monitoring and enhancing situational awareness in military environments.
