The Internet of Bodies: The Human Body as an Efficient and Secure Wireless Channel

Abstract

<div>Taking a cue from the Internet of Things, the Internet of Bodies (IoB) can be defined as a network of smart objects placed in, on, and around the human body, allowing for intra- and inter-body communications. This position paper aims to provide a glimpse into the opportunities created by implantable, injectable, ingestible, and wearable IoB devices. The paper starts with a thorough discussion of application-specific design goals, technical challenges, and enabling of communication standards. We discuss the reason that the highly radiative nature of radio frequency (RF) systems results in inefficient systems due to over-extended coverage that causes interference and becomes susceptible to eavesdropping. Body channel communication (BCC) presents an attractive, alternative wireless technology by inherently coupling signals to the human body, resulting in highly secure and efficient communications. The conductive nature of body tissues yields a better channel quality, while the BCC's operational frequency range (1-100 kHz) eliminates the need for radio front-ends. State-of-the-art BCC transceivers can reach several tens of Mbps data rates at pJ/b energy efficiency levels that support IoB devices and applications. Furthermore, as the cyber and biological worlds meet, security risks and privacy concerns take center stage, leading to a discussion of the multi-faceted legal, societal, ethical, and political issues related to technology governance.</div>

A Top-Down Survey on Optical Wireless Communications for the Internet of Things

“…The IEEE 802.15.6 has also defined body channel communication (BCC), a.k.a. intrabody communication, as a third PHY layer option, where transmission is confined to the human body by coupling electrostatic or magnetostatic signals to the skin through electrodes [297], [361]- [364]. In addition to being more energy-efficient than RF-IoBT, the BCC also has relatively better PHY layer security due to less signal leakage.…”

Cooperative Body Channel Communications for Energy-Efficient Internet of Bodies

“…The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support for this work from the KAUST and the Smart Health Initiative (SHI) at KAUST proactive and preventative care; remote patient monitoring and rehabilitating patients; smart home assisted independent living for seniors and people with disabilities; self-care and welfare for a healthy and productive lifestyle; occupational health and safety to protect critical personnel from workplace injuries and work-related diseases; and sports and entertainment [2].…”

“…Even though the CC-BCC is affected by the variations in the surrounding environment, it delivers a better channel gain than the GC-BCC scheme and can meet the QoS demand of IoB applications by exploiting higher frequencies. The advantages offered by BCC communications over RF systems can be summarized as follows [2], [4]: Coupling ultra low power signals to the human body yields a negligible leakage, thus providing improved physical layer security. Moreover, the BCC channels experience a better channel gain than over-theair RF channels since the human body is more conductive than air.…”