Objectives of the service
The ES-LR™ KickStart study focuses on integrating the latest cellular and satellite-based communication technologies into a mobile IoT dedicated to the safety of individuals practising outdoor activities on their own in remote areas, in order to reduce the serious health consequences and costs linked to an accident. The development is steered by the end-user requirements since the beginning of this project.
Image credit: IMINNOV SAS, Project: ES-LR™
Users and their needs
Safety whilst practising an outdoor activity is increasingly becoming a concern for most people but also for their relatives and coaches as well, even more so when they go out on their own.
Equestrian is a sport where safety is a major concern.
With over 90 million horse riders worldwide, horse riding is considered to be the 5th most dangerous sport, counting over 74 000 accidents and 3770 deaths every year in the EU and the US alone.
ES-LR™ functionalities have been developed based on the needs of amateur riders (trail riders, long haul riders), relatives and professionals such as professional riders/equestrian tourism centres.
End-users/customers are looking for a product that is:
- connected even in very remote areas
- practical
- simple to use / fairly small
- do not interfere with their activity
- will be easily accepted by the horse.
Service/ system concept
ES-LR™ is a dedicated alert system designed for the horse-riding community (horse riders, relatives/coaches, etc).
ES-LR™ is the satellite version of a product that uses GSM communication technologies and which is patented.
The concept can be described as follow:
The system is split into 2 sub-system connected in Bluetooth: one carried by the rider and one carried by the horse. Using Bluetooth rather than a rope allows for the system not to interfere with practice of the activity or bother/scare the horse.
In the event of the rider being unconscious after a fall, an automated alert is sent to preregistered rescue contacts. The rider has also the possibility to cancel any false alert using his system if he remains conscious after the fall.
The system carried by the horse allows for its tracking in order to locate him quickly to avoid further accidents and/or injuries.
ES-LR™ provides much needed safety to riders going away over long distances such as trail riders, long-haul riders where access to terrestrial communication networks is problematic or inexistent.
The aim of ES-LR™ is to transmit reliable and accurate information to emergency services about the location of the person injured so they can intervene faster in order to deliver the best medical care and to reduce the serious health consequences and costs linked to an accident.
The system is scalable and benefit from regular software updates to allow for better user’s safety.
Image credit: IMINNOV SAS, Project: ES-LR™
Space Added Value
To be able to propose the planned service, we will need to use the following space assets:
- satellite navigation,
- satellite communication.
The rider and the horse are each equipped with their own device to communicate their respective location even if they are separated, for example to locate the injured rider and to track the horse if he has escaped.
All communication received or transmitted by the devices are in the format of text message.
Satellite communication can be used when there is no possibility for terrestrial transmission of data (e.g. GSM). For commercial reasons, the emerging nano constellations look more promising and were investigated in the study.
Current Status
The Kickstart Activity study started in October 2019 and has been completed in November 2020.
Users/customers were engaged, and requirements were collected. The solution was defined, and the technical feasibility was investigated, including some tests on satellite communication. The commercial viability was analysed, and a business plan was defined. The system architecture has been synthesized.
The investigations carried out throughout this study enable Iminnov to assess the feasibility of this project from a technical and a commercial point of view. The conclusions are that the satellite communication service provided by these emerging nano constellation is not mature enough as wished to be implemented to respond to the needs of the end-users in terms of physical constraints and costs.
The technology will be monitored till it will be mature enough to investigate again the concept.
Prime Contractor(s)
