Last year Tracker was born, an innovative European project led by Facsa with the main objective of developing an environmental monitoring platform that would help to combat epidemiological emergency situations, such as the recent Covid-19 pandemic.
After 18 months of intensive work, the project, carried out in collaboration with the Artificial Intelligence Analysis unit of EURECAT, has ended with optimal final results, which were recently presented in Copenhagen within the framework of the International Water Association (IWA) World Water Congress & Exhibition 2022 (WWCE 2022).
Its main innovation has been the use of geospatial predictive analysis and the application of artificial intelligence techniques to develop a risk indicator capable of announcing a change in an epidemiological trend at the control points established in the sewage system in the wastewater generated in urban/industrial environments.
Thus, the digital platform enables decision-making in the field of public health, based on information obtained from wastewater, along with epidemiological indicators and predictive algorithms based on mobility, socioeconomic, and meteorological data; facilitating management for health authorities, public administrations, and private entities. In this regard, it is worth noting that this project was one of 18 selected—from a total of 135 applications from 21 different countries—to find solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the development of Tracker, work has focused on analyzing biomarkers for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants. This has allowed for the detection, up to six weeks in advance, of increases in the presence of the virus's genetic material in two Spanish municipalities. This analysis has enabled the early detection of relevant variants of the virus, such as Omicron. This work has been carried out in collaboration with the technology center LEITAT and Eurofins Iproma.
It is important to highlight that this platform is available for implementation in other European municipalities, as well as in any industrial environment. Furthermore, it is accessible to people with visual impairments, as it incorporates an interactive chatbot called KII, developed by the startup SEMANTICBOTS, part of Espaitec, based in Castelló de la Plana.
This project has been developed under the essence of Waternology Society, an initiative with which Facsa places society in a preferential position and which encompasses the company's technological projects designed by and for society in general.
Furthermore, it is worth highlighting that Tracker has been funded by the European Commission through the Horizon 2020 INNO4COV-19 program under agreement number 101016203, being the only one whose focus is related to the category of environmental monitoring in 2021.
