Enabling pandemic-resilient healthcare: Narrowband Internet of Things and edge intelligence for real-time monitoring

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) in deploying robotic sprayers for pandemic-associated disinfection and monitoring has garnered significant attention in recent research. The authors introduce a novel architectural framework designed to interconnect smart monitoring robotic devices within healthcare facilities using narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technology. The core objective is establishing a seamless data transmission pipeline that bridges these devices with the nearest base station. The associated data is routed directly from the edge computing infrastructure to the Cloud storage. The proposed architecture increases data security and optimises system performance by avoiding dependencies on central data centres. The critical components of this system allow the edge node to transmit data to the cloud, where primary data processing and analysis occur. The selection of NB-IoT as the underlying protocol facilitates real-time data collection and monitoring in healthcare with boosted capacity and coverage, extended battery life, and cost efficiency.