Research made Easy

Embedded Technologies is the developer of the GPAC System^®. This is a powerful data collection, automation and incident pre-emption tool that intelligently provides continuous monitoring and control of critical research processes or environments issuing alerts or invoking other systems based on trigger events. It is suitable for small to medium enterprises or larger organisations that operate autonomously over distributed locations and can be used to provide a distributed model whilst offering both local and global management.

The GPAC System^® includes a powerful database and audit trail for compliance, verification, analysis, incident logging and annotations.

Researchers will have peace of mind knowing that a GPAC System^® is monitoring their projects with automated remedial action and data logging reducing workload for assistants and ensuring integrity of data collection. Lab logs can be easily imported into Excel or whatever analysis tools you use and your research assistants can be involved in more meaningful activities than filling out lab books.

Coordination is improved by the provision of secure access to different groups from people on the ground to those looking to analyze from a wider perspective. For example, data can be collected by all the research students of supervisor, and can be easily accessed by both them and their supervisor for analysis and determination of progress.

Current Research Systems

Presently many researchers do not automate their experiments or data collection. This is because it is not cost effective to employ engineering consultants to program programmable logic controllers (PLCs), proprietary systems and to setup and then to make the inevitable changes required for experimentation. Some researchers use data loggers to collect data. Data is dispersed in instruments that are cumbersome to retrieve and collate. Because data collection is difficult to remotely automate and control, the large data sets collected also complicate the analysis and resolution of any issues.

If researchers are not using automated monitoring, a research assistant manually notes sensor logs, writes into a lab book and then rekeys the data later, exposing the integrity of the data to data entry errors and reducing data collection to times when the researcher is physically present. It is difficult to quality certify such processes for data integrity. In short, apart from high end medical research where regulatory processes dictate stringent quality requirements, ad hoc data collected in lab books is the most usual form of data collection for many research disciplines whereas Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) would be preferable but are too expensive for wide deployment.

Further, researchers that are working to improve a process that will use automation in commercial use (say mineral extraction) cannot easily factor this into their experimentation leaving a gap from the lab to the process plant. Deploying normal automation for these types of experiments can be complex, single use and expensive, with any changes requiring programming and/or wiring modifications before the changes are accepted. Due to the cost of consulting engineering this uncertainty can prevent commercialization whereas best practice research experimentation would emulate commercial control conditions as closely as possible.

GPAC System^®

The GPAC System^® relies on a different paradigm. We seek to provide and enhance monitoring and control by:

• Automated collection of experiment lab data – With the GPAC System’s^® ability to monitor and collect data twenty-four hours per day, your experimental outcomes are enhanced with the most accurate and complete set of lab data available. This is time/date stamped and links to a full audit log including annotations by operators. If required, video data can now be easily collected and integrated as part of research or so a researcher can see over the web what is happening at the facility or experiment. Users may only have to review incidents of interest. Sensor logs are saved based on monitoring parameters however alerts highlight out of range situations and allow specific analysis based on time/date and incident references.
• Widespread deployment – The GPAC System^® has a low total cost of ownership and can have multiple local deployments, allowing multiple research projects to be monitored by the one system. By using TCP/IP, the system can be monitored via a Wide Area Network or Internet connection from anywhere in the world. For example if researchers are collaborating overseas they can access their data easily and can even show live results at conferences and other events.
• Manageable in urban, rural or remote settings – The GPAC System^® can operate in non-air conditioned and dusty environments. This ensures local authorities can be empowered to “own” their local research activities yet be part of the wider faculty research environment. ETCorp’s systems have been deployed in remote commercial and research locations from Christmas Island to Exmouth to Arno Bay.
• Less time spent collecting data means more time available for thinking and publishing – The automated nature of data capture means that both researchers and assistants can spend more time analyzing and interpreting logs and publishing findings. The tedium of data collection is removed and assistants can contribute in a more intellectual manner to the experiment. Larger certified data sets allow for more extensive analysis and supporting information and this is available in the lab or at the desktop.
• Automated action plan – whilst staff may not even be aware of a potential experiment failure, the GPAC System^® can action a predetermined notification/action plan by alerting designated people by SMS, mobilizing assets and activating support systems. This will minimize stock or experiment loss.
• Intelligent vision – is determined by setting conditional alarms, such as temperature or low oxygen levels, becoming activated and initiating video storage whilst raising SMS alarms to researchers. Audit trail captures the incident as well as confirmation back from the research team of message received.
• Mobile monitoring – The GPAC System^® can be an essential part of any experiment deployment using mobile environment sensors in research locations to vary sensor positions and readings. Wireless connectivity allows for process control and monitoring sensors to be fixed or mobile so that if additional sensor data is required, no wiring is required, providing flexibility and reducing experiment costs.
• Connectivity – The GPAC System^® uses TCP/IP and wireless communications protocols that integrate into your secure or unsecured networks. Sensor and input or output devices can be any analog, digital or TCP/IP based product. Embedded Technologies has certified several manufacturers’ equipment and continues to evaluate other suppliers.
• Protecting your intellectual property – using the flexibility of the GPAC System^® enables researchers to provide extensive supporting information when registering or presenting your IP. What if and other alternatives can also be explored as part of a single research project with the extensive data collected. All log data is time and date stamped and notes cannot be deleted from the system. This is captured and stored centrally to protect data integrity.
• More Time for Analysis - The GPAC System^® automates data collection increasing your ‘thinking time’ and reduces the time required to write papers and publish results by removing tedium from research. Data doesn’t need to be rekeyed from lab books, enabling research resources to focus on the analysis and preparation of publishing findings and papers.

The GPAC System^® reduces the time to analyze a problem and gather data or evidence to take corrective action. Time is critical in the data analysis required to publish papers and quality data (data integrity) with experimental audit trails is paramount. Further its flexibility of deployment allows regular audits to be taken with reconfiguration and new capabilities added for new research directions without needing to involve engineers.