Todays society is confronted with huge challenges in climate change, depletion of resources, aging society, mobility and safety. This has triggered a global change in mindset from a scenario of continuous growth to a more sustainable development via smart homes and buildings, smart mobility, energy savings, alternative energy sources, etc. Of the energy consumption in the EU , 41% is consumed in heating, cooling and lighting of homes and buildings. Literature shows that Smart Home/Building Automation can give a considerable reduction (15-20%) in energy consumption and consequently in CO2 footprint, but requires an in-home/in-building network to interconnect the sensors and actuators with the control unit(s). This in-home network itself should be as energy-efficient as possible. We propose a novel hybrid optical/wireless network architecture that integrates the home automation network with the high bit-rate in-home network for data transfer and entertainment in a very energy-efficient way. This novel integrated network features an optical fiber network backbone between a central control unit and all rooms with wireless transmission in the rooms. By using 60GHz radio transmission in room-sized pico-cells, in combination with adaptive radio pencil beams which are steered to pin-point the (mobile) wireless devices, considerable savings in the energy consumption of the network itself can be achieved. In addition, the exposure of humans to Electro Magnetic radiation is reduced to a bare minimum. We expect to reduce the radio emission by at least three orders of magnitude. The radio beam-steering is done by new optically controlled phased array antennas driven by a central processor unit with a novel, energy-efficient architecture. To control the radio beams, the processor unit acquires position information of the (mobile) wireless terminals. It also adaptively manages and controls the network by off-loading traffic from the radio pico-cells to the fiber backbone and takes care of routing of traffic to and from the appropriate pico-cells. Thus, functional clusters of communication terminals and/or sensors and actuators can be formed by adaptive optical routing and switching in the communication controller. First-order calculations show an overall energy saving of the novel network concept itself by an order of magnitude compared with current full-radio or radio/copper solutions. Utilisation The research topics of the project have a time horizon of >5 years ("curiosity-driven research"). However, it is expected that various elements of the proposed system (such as the optically-controlled phased array antenna and its intelligent centralised control unit) can be commercialised in a shorter time frame, thus giving a boost to Dutch industry. Furthermore, the in-home position detection mechanisms of wireless (mobile) devices and the related algorithms developed within the project will bring the realisation of the concept of the "smart home", comprising energy-efficient ICT service delivery as well as energy management in buildings, a major step forward. The concept of smart homes is important to enhance the quality of life and to counterbalance costs of the aging society by giving tailored home support and care to elderly people.

More than 100,000 infants develop hydrocephalus in sub-Saharan Africa every year. Many of these children are inadequately diagnosed and poorly treated due to lack of diagnostic tools, resulting in severe brain damage and ultimately death. Magnetic Resonance Imaging is the preferred technique to diagnose hydrocephalus. In countries such as Uganda, MRI is unaffordable at even major referral hospitals and medical schools. For such developing countries, conventional MRI devices are too expensive, too difficult to install, and too difficult to maintain and operate. In order to provide a sustainable diagnostic tool we will develop an inexpensive and easy to use MRI system that is of sufficient quality to diagnose hydrocephalus and manage its surgical treatment. We will investigate two approaches: the first is based on an inexpensive electromagnet and the second on a permanent magnet. We will use off-the-shelf electronic components and public domain software to construct a sustainable device that costs on the order of 50,000 EURO compared to several million euros for a conventional multipurpose whole-body MRI. We will develop advanced image reconstruction algorithms in order to compensate for the low signal-to-noise ratio and inhomogeneity in the magnetic field, which are intrinsic to low-power fields. The MRI device will be tested on-site in collaboration with local practitioners during clinical trials at the main hospital for patients with hydrocephalus in Uganda. The project brings together a multidisciplinary team composed of both practitioners and scientists. The team has the expertise needed to perform the whole development chain, from design to clinical trials in Uganda.