One idea, big impact: How Marcellino’s idea is making a difference
Saving lives with sensing solutions
When every second counts: the challenge of locating people in complex buildings
It can happen to any one of us: A stroke, a heart attack or any other medical emergency. Every second counts and emergency services do everything they can to get to the scene as quickly as possible and help the patient. However, this is often not so easy: “Especially in multi-storey buildings with many apartments, we lost valuable minutes because we couldn't locate the patient and had to run back and forth,” says Marcellino Gemelli, recalling his time as a volunteer in ambulance service several years ago – an experience he still remembers vividly.
"We lost valuable minutes because we couldn't locate the patient and had to run back and forth."
Pressure sensors enabling accurate altitude tracking
This was exactly the problem Marcellino wanted to tackle and, after completing his engineering studies, he transitioned from ambulance service to the semiconductor industry. A few years later, he was able to make a meaningful impact to solving this issue at Bosch Sensortec: using pressure sensors capable of detecting altitude differences with centimeter-level accuracy, it is possible to locate people in need within high-rise or complex buildings. “I thought to myself: almost everyone carries a smartphone or wearable these days. Our pressure sensor in the devices coit,” explains Marcellino.
The idea was there, but Marcellino initially faced major obstacles, since most smartphone manufacturers had originally planned to remove pressure sensors from their smartphones. Therefore, Marcellino patented his idea and approached the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), which is responsible for emergency calls in the United States. The FCC finally decided that it is mandatory for all smartphone manufacturers to integrate a pressure sensor into the devices so that in an emergency, the data from a patient's sensor can be transmitted to the control center and the patient can be located with centimeter accuracy.
"As an engineer, it's a dream come true to make such a meaningful impact with our products and solutions."
A life-saving idea with a meaningful impact
“As an engineer, it’s a dream come true to make such a meaningful impact with our products and solutions. Every year, 10,000 more lives can now be saved1. Even if it’s just one life, it’s already worth it! That makes me very proud!” Marcellino highlights. And that’s not all, he adds: “This use case enabled by our sensors truly embodies the motto ‘Invented for life’. It's good because it not only saves lives, but also because it has a positive impact on our Bosch Sensortec business.”
For his commitment, Marcellino was awarded the Golden Cross and knighted by his home country of Italy in a festive ceremony, an honor that is not bestowed on many. His next goal is to expand this life-saving idea to other countries as well.
Source:
1 Federal Communications Commission, Washington D.C., February 3, 2015: https://www.911.gov/assets/Wireless-E911-Location-Accuracy-Requirements-1638567121.pdf