Projects Profile
Project Title
Smart On-Body Wireless Sensor Networks for Healthcare Applications
Partnership
Dr. Akram Alomainy, Queen Mary, University of London
Dr. Rui Zhang, Fudan University, China
Project Aim
The aim of the project is to develop a prototype of the cognitive-based smart antenna system for applications in healthcare on-body wireless networks and to access and evaluate the hurdles in commercializing this technology to guide the prototype design specification for a subsequent ICUK Proof-of-Concept funded project.
Inspiration for the projects
On-body wireless sensors are widely used in healthcare industry to remotely monitor vital signs such as heart rate. The critical design issue with existing systems is that the communication will be shadowed or even blocked by the patient’s body depending on the patient’s body position, which will also result in unacceptably high level of power assumption as the sensor keeps trying to communicate with the access point.
When multiple on-body wireless sensors are deployed, it is possible to resolve the above problem by setting up a co-operative network of sensors in which individual antennas in the network can adapt their beam patterns. Appropriately configured, such a system will ensure that the data from the sensors can be communicated to the local base station or access point, regardless of degree of shadowing – the system finds a communication pathway around the body to an antenna with a direct line of sight.
Commercial Potential and Further Development
On-body wireless sensors have a growing worldwide market in and all major players in the field are engaging in developing new generation of technologies. The next step after the Partnership Grant project is to develop a commercial prototype.
