MilNova: An Approach to the IoT Solution based
on Model-Driven Engineering for the Military
Health Monitoring
Rolando P. Reyes Ch. Manolo Paredes Calderón
Universidad de las Fuerzas Universidad de las Fuerzas
Armadas ESPE Armadas ESPE
Sangolquı́, Ecuador Sangolquı́, Ecuador
rpreyes1@espe.edu.ec mparedes@espe.edu.ec
Hugo Pérez Vaca
Universidad de las Fuerzas
Armadas ESPE
Sangolquı́, Ecuador
hlperez@espe.edu.ec
Abstract—In 2015, Zheng & Carter warned that the Internet of
Things (IoT) would have an exponential deployment in all types of
industry in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its
operations. In the military sphere, it has not been different. The
Ecuadorian Armed Forces are trying to equip their soldiers with
IoT Technology to monitor and visualize in real time the state
of health during combat missions. However, the implementation
and research, at least in Ecuador; has been very complex due to
two problems: (1) organization in the design and the integration
of the components and applications when participate several
researchers and engineers of multiple disciplines (e.g, control,
software) and (2) the complex implementation due to the tech-
nological fragmentation between the military contexts (e.g., air
force, army and navy). We propose an approach to the solution
to the implementation of real-time military health monitoring in
combat missions, using the Model-Driven Engineering (MDE)
paradigm and the research model proposed by Takeuchi &
Nonaka. We were able to obtain a meta-model delineated in
the 4 domains of the IoT Technology embedded within the 4
contexts of a product line process. The meta-model has solved
the problem associated with implementation as a product line
while had increasing the comprehensibility between researchers
and engineers.
Keywords—Models, Model-Driven Engineering, Product Line,
Internet of Things, Ubiquitous Technology, Military Health
I. I NTRODUCTION
Internet of Things (IoT) is considered as a promising
paradigm that joins an ecosystem of sensors, systems and
database to monitor any environment or object in a specific
space of time [1]. Zheng & Carter in 2015 [2], described to
the tecnology IoT as a new capability that offers an ecosystem
of technologies to: (1) extract real data (of daily life), (2)
analyze them in a virtual environment and (3) give them added
value through analysis and algorithms that allow decision
making and rapid responses. This procedure differs with other
technologies such as Next Generation Networks (NGN) that
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2017
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Luis Montoya
Universidad de las Fuerzas
Armadas ESPE
Sangolquı́, Ecuador
lhmontoya@espe.edu.ec
Wilbert G. Aguilar
Universidad de las Fuerzas
Armadas ESPE
Sangolquı́, Ecuador
wgaguilar@espe.edu.ec
only considers the virtual approach. A typical example is a
shopping site developed with NGN where it is possible to
only make purchases in the Internet, while with technologies
IoT it is possible for thousands of people to make physical
purchases in an instant, to pay them virtually (e.g., sensors)
while analyzing the pattern of purchases. In this sense, it is
assumed that IoT has had an exponential growth in recent
years; creating an innumerable and endless list of applications
for commercial and industrial operations (eg, production, lo-
gistics, transport, surveillance, energy, among others) [3]. This
accelerated growth can be attributed to the decrease in size and
cost of sensors, improved power and electronic processing,
Internet penetration and IPv6 in wireless connectivity (4G
LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), and development of software
in conjunction with analysis of data in the cloud [2].
However, IoT technology has not only been boosted in the
industrial arena, but has also achieved a prominent deployment
in human-oriented services [2]. There are several examples
in this regard [3]–[5]; for this reason, the Armed Forces in
different countries, are interested in equipping their troops with
IoT technologies to monitor and visualize the state of health
in the different combat missions. In Ecuador it has not been
different; its Armed Forces have taken the initiative in this
area. Although, its implementation and research, at least in
Ecuador, has been very complex due to two problems: (1)
organization in the design and the integration of the com-
ponents and applications when participate several researchers
and engineers of multiple disciplines (e.g, control, software)
and (2) the complex implementation due to the technological
fragmentation between the military contexts (e.g., air force,
army and navy).
 In this study we propose to MilNova1 , an approach to the
solution and research proposal for the implementation of the
monitoring of ”military health” in combat missions through
Internet of Things (IoT). We use the joint experience between
the Model-Based Engineering (MBE) paradigm [6] and the
research model proposed by Takeuchi & Nonaka [7].
Preliminary results are prominent. So far the model of
superior level of abstraction or meta-model has been for-
mulated that maps to all the domains and abstract contexts
that makes up the construction and implementation of this
type of IoT solutions. The meta-model contain 4 domains
of building IoT solutions embedded in the 4 contexts of a
product line process. The 4 domains of construction refer to:
generation, collection, processing and visualization of data;
and these in turn are embedded within 4 contexts of product
development: conceptual, technological, implementation and
research. The meta-model has solved the problem associated
with implementation as a product line while increasing the
comprehensibility between researchers and engineers.
This article is structured in: Section II details the backgroud.
The research proposal and approach to the solution is detailed
in Section III. Section IV describes the conclusions and lessons
learned and Future Works are explained in Section V.
II. BACKGROUND
As mentioned earlier, the list of IoT applications is endless
in commercial and industrial operations [3]. In the field of
health has been no exception. Thanks to the IoT technology
you get the versatility to connect to anyone, anytime, anywhere
[1], with the purpose of get faster diagnostics and predictions.
We could say that IoT technology could be redesigning the
modern health care management, at least in civil society
[4]. In this sense, we can say that military health is even
more critical and complex, especially when there are soldiers
involved in high-risk combat operations, where medical care
is very limited and there is an imperative need to care for
each soldier in the mission. We have tried to find literature
on this subject, especially literature that proposes models for
the implementation, development and research of this type of
solutions in the field of military health [2]. We have not been
able to find more than something related to health care in the
civil field. Here are some of these jobs we have found:
• Zhao et al. [3] explains the platform called RMMP-II to
help control the physiological and cardiological diseases
of people in rural areas in China. Only the components
of the platform are explained.
• Islam et al. [4] points out several practical challenges
that must be addressed in order to apply IoT technology
in the field of health. A standard platform proposal
(topology, network and architecture) is explained without
any emphasis on implementation aspects.
• Rohokale et al. [5] mentions the use of IoT technology in
the monitoring of maternity programs in rural areas. The
study is only aimed at communication between sensors.
1 Mil that comes from the Latin Militarius and Nova means New in English
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• Morin et al. [6] proposes an IoT health system called
Tellu’s E-Health built with a proposal of ThingsML for
solving IoT complexity problems in different domains.
The proposal is oriented to the use of ThingsML.
III. M IL N OVA : A PPROACH TO THE I OT S OLUTION BASED
ON M ODEL -D RIVEN E NGINEERING
A. Problem and Motivation
The background shows that IoT applications have grown
within the scope of health services [1], [3], [4]. Due to this
phenomen several Armed Forces are looking for or trying
to monitor and visualize the health status of their troops
during several combat missions. In Ecuador it has not been
different. The Ecuadorian Armed Forces have undertaken the
research initiative on IOT technologies for use in military
health, both in combat missions and for the physical training
of their troops. However, obtaining a solution according to
military needs (Army, Navy and Air Force) is complicated
when has two problems: (1) organization in the design and
integration of the components and applications with several
researchers and engineers of multiple disciplines (e.g, control,
software, others) and (2) the complex implementation due to
the technological and cultural fragmentation of the military
context. This is compounded by the low budgets for technol-
ogy research and integration with systems such as C3I22 or
C4ISR3 for decision-making during combat missions. Neither
can we exclude accelerated and volatile changes in the policies
and processes of management in military health.
B. Research proposal and approach to the IoT solution
The above-mentioned problems are summarized in the
complexity in the implementation, development, and research
of IoT technology. Therefore, we propose to MilNova, an
approach to the solution and research proposal for the imple-
mentation of the ubiquitous monitoring of military health in
real time through the joint experience between Model-Based
Engineering (MBE) paradigm [6] and the model of research,
innovation and production lines proposed by Takeuchi &
Nonaka [7].
MBE is a software development methodology that allows
us to create and exploit domain models or conceptual models
that try to solve a specific problem. The interesting thing about
MBE is the reuse of its models to simplify the design process
(e.g., patterns of recurring design patterns). Although this type
of methodology has a software orientation, we take its design
process in order to maximize the compatibility between the
components or systems that make up a solution based on IoT
technology while also helping to promote the Communication
between individuals and engineers from different disciplines
towards a goal within a common domain [8].
On the other hand, we have the research model and product
line proposed by Takeuchi & Nonaka Model. This model (from
2 Military systems of Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence and
Informatics
3 Military systems of Command, Control, Communications, Computers,
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
 Fig. 1. Research proposal and approach to the solution: MilNova

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which the agile methodologies was born) has taught to develop
products through the use of Concurrent Engineering from
a scalable perspective and with stable and highly cohesive
equipment. Although the model is oriented to a proposal of
the 90’s, this model has allowed in the past to propose models
or methods capable of controlling processes in an empirical
way, under an iterative context, to substantially improve the
development of complex products accepting changes during
the Process without these changes would have an impact on
the project [7].
The solutions with IoT are complex systems of systems
(SoS) that use electronic control (e.g., sensors), communi-
cations and interconnectivity, information systems, storage,
data analysis, others. This has meant that the implementation
requires models capable of directing several engineers and re-
searchers from different disciplines towards a solution. Textit
MilNova, is a research project of the University of the Armed
Forces ESPE that seeks an approach to the solution applying
the MBE paradigm and the model of Takeuchi Nonaka. We
know that modeling, deploying and developing solutions with
IoT is still a challenge and our contribution could be part of
the discussion, validation, and verification of proposals for IoT
solutions that are currently underway.
To explain our proposal, we have created a meta-model
shown in Figure 1. The abstraction of the meta-model pro-
motes simple models that allow solving in smaller parts our
problem. We consider IOT systems as columns of our meta-
model, because of their importance in the processing and
conversion of data into information (eg, generation, collection,
processing, and visualization). To the conversion phases we
have called domains, so we have created the domain of data
generation where we apply the electronics, data collection
domain where it encompasses the connectivity, information
processing domain where it contains the information systems
and finally the knowledge visualization domain with the anal-
ysis and algorithms (e.g., BI, data mining, machine learning).
In other words, the generation and collection domains will
be responsible for the generation and capture of biomedical
signals until they are transformed into meaningful data, which
will be sent by a secure communication medium (encryption)
to an information system [9]; processing and visualization
domains are responsible for receiving and processing data into
useful information through dynamic information systems to
generate new knowledge [1].
The domains presented allow concurrent engineering with
the overlapping of several of their activities. It is for this
reason that it is possible to organize engineers, experimenters
and researchers, so that engineers can create the right designs
for each domain, students carry the development during the
implementation process, and then pass the researchers to the
empirical evaluation [10]. There appears the need for the do-
mains to resemble the phases to a manofacturation line. Phases
are created in the domains as rows of the meta-model: concep-
tual, technological, implementation and research. The idea is
to obtain synergy and coordination between multidisciplinary
groups from beginning to end in implementation. According
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to Segura A. (2016) [11] considers that in IoT solutions are of
paramount importance to consider the perspectives of the user,
technical personnel and researcher. Therefore, the importance
of applying the aforementioned phases transversally to the
domains. In this way the conceptual phase helps conceptually
define the system in such a way that any member can un-
derstand it; the technological phase explains the technology
to apply with concepts; the implementation phase explains
the methodologies to be applied for each technology and
finally the research phase explains an empirical method for
evaluation.
IV. C ONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED
The integration and orchestration of several domains and
phases in MilNova, have allowed an adequate deployment
of research, development, and implementation with some au-
tonomy in the multidisciplinary working groups (Electronics,
Systems, Telecommunications.), but everyone with the same
goal in common. The deployment of our meta-model in its
inception has not been easy, due to the problems related to
the Ecuadorian military culture and the warnings mentioned
by Zheng Carter [2]. However, after coordination between the
members have been able to create 2 undergraduate theses
related to control systems and information systems and 2
postgraduate theses concerning the encryption of connectivity
and prediction algorithms. The creation of increasing the
number of postgraduate theses is not ruled out. We believe
that the meta-model could be begining of IoT-based technolo-
gies within the Ecuadorian Armed Forces, transforming the
doctrine of military health into their theaters of operations
V. F UTURE W ORKS
Currently we are initiating the implementation of MilNova,
our tesists work in conjunction with engineers and researchers.
All have understood the conceptual, technological and imple-
mentation aspect of each domain and are working as a product
line. Our future work is oriented to research and definitive
results of the application of our meta-model with artifacts
based on ThingML proposed by Morin et al. [6].
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Our acknowledgment to SENESCYT, Universidad de las
Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, Armada del Ecuador y Ejército
Ecuatoriano
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