IoT-enabled connected incubator with redundant communication for real-time neonatal monitoring

Abstract

Premature birth remains a major challenge in neonatal care, especially in resource-constrained settings, where continuous monitoring and timely intervention are limited. Most existing neonatal incubators offer limited real-time monitoring, unreliable alerting, and lack communication redundancy, potentially delaying critical responses. This paper presents a comprehensive internet of thing (IoT) enabled connected incubator with redundant communication (Wi-Fi and GSM) for real-time monitoring of physiological and environmental parameters. The system integrates sensing, processing, cloud connectivity, a mobile application, and multi-channel alerts (App notifications, SMS, voice calls, and local alarms). It was experimentally evaluated under controlled laboratory conditions. Quantitative evaluation shows a cloud transmission success rate of 99.1%, end-to-end communication latency below 1 second via Wi-Fi and 2.2 seconds via GSM, with 98% of alerts successfully delivered within 6 seconds. The proposed system provides a low-cost, reliable platform that enhances neonatal safety, supports timely clinical decisions, and is scalable for resource-constrained healthcare environments.