Two new technologies developed by the University of Alicante streamline processes that to date were slower to perform, and without even requiring human intervention: the Automated worker presence system and Electronic payment by presence system.

The research to develop these technologies and put them into operation have been conducted within the “Specialised processors” work line, headed by Higinio Mora Mora under the umbrella of the Applied intelligent architectures (AIA) research group, a group which is headed by Andrés Fuster. Higinio Mora is a doctor in computer engineering by the Higher Polytechnic School of the UA.

The innovative systems are based on using mobile devices. It is enough for the user to be in the area for the automated worker presence system to execute. With this type of system workers do not have to clock in and out, as it is done automatically.

Its operation is based on four sensors, in this case mobile phone sensors, and an external sensor. The researcher explains how these sensors take advantage of the many signals emitted by mobile phones, a technology that is full of communication signals (Bluetooth, Wifi, etc.). “We take advantage of this feature to detect the user. The worker is registered and a notification saying that they have arrived is sent.” One of the main benefits of this technology is to prevent the bottleneck that takes place at the clocking in machines of companies. Likewise, it would be possible to decrease time losses and prevent potential clocking errors. It also decreases the infrastructure required to clock in and out.

Mora specifies that the second technology works in a similar way. “With the electronic payment system by presence it is the same: with products that have a set price, such as the bus, the cinema or the theatre. The system charges you for using the service”. Other advantages of these two systems are time saving, in the case of the bus driver when taking the money, or so that the user can get on through any door of the vehicle. Furthermore, the UA researcher highlights that this system “prevents fraud because it detects all users that are getting on.”

The developers of this technology are currently working on the prototype. This prototype, comprised by four sensors, as Higinio Mora says, “could be used for both”. Furthermore, they are about to sign an agreement with an interested company, who they will award a patent to in order to transfer the technology to another field. January 2021 is the date calculated to conduct the transfer of the R&D agreement with the company and award the presence control patent.