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4th February 2003

An ambulance demonstration showed vital medical data, voice and video using IPv6 and seamlessly roaming over 2G and 3G systems as well as wireless LANs. As part of the EU-project IPv6 Wireless
Internet Initiative (6WINIT) it signifies an important step towards the vision of mobile users being "Always Best Connected".

Inset is a screenshot of the patient's vital signs relayed from the ambulance to the hospital during the demo.

Three key technologies were brought together for the first time to show the usefulness of seamless mobile services: next generation Internet (IPv6), 3G (UMTS/WCDMA) and Multi-Access.

The medical emergency system, called Guardian Angel, can seamlessly
move between different types of access networks - whatever is the
best available in a certain location. From a hospital setting,
doctors can observe the patient in the ambulance, check the heart
rate and blood pressure, using mobile networks such as GSM/GPRS or
UMTS/WCDMA. Once the ambulance reaches the hospital, the system can
automatically switch over to an indoor WLAN hot spot. Data flows can
use separate network interfaces in parallel. For example, if the WLAN
does not have sufficient reliability, vital data transmissions could
simultaneously use a GSM/GPRS or UMTS/WCDMA channel.

The demonstration was a joint effort within the 6WINIT project
consisting of University Hospital at Tübingen, University of
Stuttgart Computing Center, University of Bremen, University College
London and Ericsson. It took place at Ericsson's headquarters in
Stockholm in the presence of invited EU-officials as part of the
Final Review of the EU project.