The Internet of Bodies: A Systematic Survey on Propagation Characterization and Channel Modeling
Open Access
- 19 July 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in IEEE Internet of Things Journal
- Vol. 9 (1), 321-345
- https://doi.org/10.1109/jiot.2021.3098028
Abstract
The Internet of Bodies (IoBs) is an imminent extension to the vast Internet of Things domain, where interconnected devices (e.g., worn, implanted, embedded, swallowed, etc.) are located in-on-and-around the human body form a network. Thus, the IoB can enable a myriad of services and applications for a wide range of sectors, including medicine, safety, security, wellness, entertainment, to name but a few. Especially, considering the recent health and economic crisis caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic, also known as COVID-19, the IoB can revolutionize today’s public health and safety infrastructure. Nonetheless, reaping the full benefit of IoB is still subject to addressing related risks, concerns, and challenges. Hence, this survey first outlines the IoB requirements and related communication and networking standards. Considering the lossy and heterogeneous dielectric properties of the human body, one of the major technical challenges is characterizing the behavior of the communication links in-on-and-around the human body. Therefore, this article presents a systematic survey of channel modeling issues for various link types of human body communication (HBC) channels below 100 MHz, the narrowband (NB) channels between 400 and 2.5 GHz, and ultrawideband (UWB) channels from 3 to 10 GHz. After explaining bio-electromagnetics attributes of the human body, physical, and numerical body phantoms are presented along with electromagnetic propagation tool models. Then, the first-order and the second-order channel statistics for NB and UWB channels are covered with a special emphasis on body posture, mobility, and antenna effects. For capacitively, galvanically, and magnetically coupled HBC channels, four different channel modeling methods (i.e., analytical, numerical, circuit, and empirical) are investigated, and electrode effects are discussed. Finally, interested readers are provided with open research challenges and potential future research directions.Keywords
This publication has 175 references indexed in Scilit:
- Chinese adult anatomical models and the application in evaluation of RF exposuresPhysics in Medicine & Biology, 2011
- Ultra-wideband statistical propagation channel model for implant sensors in the human chestIET Microwaves, Antennas & Propagation, 2011
- Interdigitated array microelectrodes based impedance biosensors for detection of bacterial cellsBiosensors and Bioelectronics, 2009
- Characteristics of biological tissue equivalent phantoms applied to UWB communicationsElectronics and Communications in Japan (Part I: Communications), 2007
- Wireless sensor networks for personal health monitoring: Issues and an implementationComputer Communications, 2006
- Design of a human-head-equivalent phantom for ISM 2.4-GHz applicationsMicrowave and Optical Technology Letters, 2005
- Influence of the Human Activity on Wide-Band Characteristics of the 60 GHz Indoor Radio ChannelIEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 2004
- The GSF family of voxel phantomsPhysics in Medicine & Biology, 2001
- The dielectric properties of biological tissues: II. Measurements in the frequency range 10 Hz to 20 GHzPhysics in Medicine & Biology, 1996
- Currents induced in an anatomically based model of a human for exposure to vertically polarized electromagnetic pulsesIEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 1991