Dubai: UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, who is on the longest Arab space mission onboard the International Space Station (ISS), today shared a photo in which he is seen wearing a special shirt.
“What I’m wearing isn’t just any shirt,” Al Neyadi said in his post on social media.
“The Bio-Monitor smart shirt & headband I have on tracks vital health stats such as heart rate, blood pressure & more offering insights into our body’s response to microgravity,” he explained.
“This technology can be a game-changer for remote healthcare.”
The bio-monitor hardware and software collect medical data from a headband and the vest loaded with sensors. Al Neyadi had used the system earlier this month, also as part of the space health study that helps scientists measure the effects of space missions on astronauts’ health.
Developed by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the system is said to have the potential to help people who are bedridden, housebound, or living in rural communities with limited access to medical support. It can also be worn by workers in dangerous environments such as mines, industrial sites, or factories.
According to CSA, an early version of this technology is used to improve professional sports performance around the world. Champion Canadian skiers Chloé, Justine, and Maxime Dufour-Lapointe used the smart shirt to train at elite levels.
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Astroskin
According to NASA, the Bio-Monitor shirt, also called the ‘Astroskin,’ is a cloth shirt that monitors parameters such as skin temperature, blood pressure, breathing rate and blood oxygen levels.
The Astroskin, a type of gym shirt, monitors vital signs in a non-obtrusive way and provides a continuous record of the crew’s heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, skin temperature, physical activity and blood oxygen levels while aboard the ISS.
The data will be streamed in real-time to help scientists on the ground understand the harsh space environment and its effects on the crew. Astroskin resembles a standard polyester workout shirt. The technology is based on its commercially available Hexoskin and represents a step forward for spaceflight monitoring.
Underneath the fabric, two cardiac electrodes crossing the chest and waist analyse vital signs. The portability and wireless nature of the Astroskin provides the means for the crew to engage in a wide variety of activities while being monitored and for a longer length of time.
Radio session
Meanwhile, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai, the agency behind the UAE Astronaut Programme, on Wednesday said Al Neyadi also took part in a ham radio session with students from schools in the UAE.
Sharing photos of key moments from the session, MBRSC said the activity was organised in collaboration with the Emirates Amateur Radio Society and Emirates Literature Foundation (ELF).
MBRSC periodically organises ‘A Call from Space’ in which students, community members and officials get a chance to talk live with Al Neyadi.
MBRSC and ELF are also running a weekly online educational programme titled ‘ELF in Space’ through which students across the country are enlightened about Al Neyadi’s mission and everything related to astronauts and the ISS.
