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Wireless technology has gradually become the solution to the problems and, particularly, the inconveniences arising from the use and installation of cables. DEXMA is a computer company that specializes in wireless sensor networks and real-time location systems. It designs the products and services required to manage and gather information via low-power wireless technology. Furthermore, the derived applications "can be used without having prior knowledge because we adapt them to the client's needs", added Xavier Orduña, technical director of DEXMA.

The sensor networks are grids that are made up of a large number of small devices that can collect all kinds of environmental data, such as temperature, humidity, movement and light. These data are then stored and processed in a server.

The small size and the ability to transmit the data by wireless technology "means that hundreds of devices can be deployed quickly and flexibly in physical spaces that were previously inaccessible and the client gains practicality and reduces installation and maintenance costs compared with cabled devices", said Orduña

There are several applications in this area. It is a tool for preventing forest fires as it detects the focus of a fire quickly, but it is also useful in fighting fires. "We have carried out a trial with the Catalan Fire Brigade; we placed these devices in a forest to monitor the perimeter and course of a fire, which helps to allocate human and technical resources more effectively".

In agriculture, the company is currently working with the Agro-food Research and Technology Institute (IRTA) on installing 84 devices to monitor the microclimatic variables of an area of land. "We want to design a commercial product that will help farmers to obtain better information on their crops and know when to irrigate in order to reduce water consumption. Many farmers use flood irrigation and our tool can complement this with drip irrigation (with the resulting water savings) because the sensors detect soil and leaf humidity and the level of stress of the tree", explained Joan Pinyol, director of Business Development at DEXMA. In the area of monitoring structures, such as buildings or bridges, the sensors can determine the state and working life of the structure.

The DEXMA real-time location systems are practical and efficient. According to Xavier Orduña, "in the logistics sector, they are useful in intelligent warehouses, where they can locate the product, indicate the amount in stock and whether it is necessary to produce more. In industry, the systems can be applied to machinery, for example, to detect whether a valve has malfunctioned. And in health care, these systems can simulate real 3D environments to locate and monitor people or material, such as mobile devices, thereby reducing patient waiting and treatment time".

The DEXMA project is a pioneer in Spain and few companies in the world are developing similar systems. "When we started out, we realized that what was missing worldwide was software, because most companies offer complete and closed solutions", said Orduña. It appears that their instinct was right. Since the company began to take its first steps in 2006 (with assessment from the UPC Innova programme), the team has won award after award in acknowledgement of its technological innovation and business vision.