According to researchers from Queen’s University Belfast, wearable sensors could be used to create ultra high bandwidth mobile Internet infrastructures and thereby reduce the density of mobile phone base stations. Social benefits from the work could include vast improvements in mobile gaming and remote healthcare, along with new precision monitoring of athletes and real-time tactical training in team sports.

The researchers are investigating how small sensors carried by members of the public, in items such as next generation smartphones, could communicate with each other to create potentially vast body-to-body networks (BBNs). The new sensors would interact to transmit data, providing ‘anytime, anywhere’ mobile network connectivity.

Dr. Simon Cotton, from the wireless communications research group, said, “In the past few years a significant amount of research has been undertaken into antennas and systems designed to share information across the surface of the human body. Until now, however, little work has been done to address the next major challenge, which is one of the last frontiers in wireless communication – how that information can be transferred efficiently to an off-body location.

 “The availability of body-to-body networks could bring great social benefits, including significant healthcare improvements through the use of body-worn sensors for the widespread, routine monitoring and treatment of illness away from medical centers. This could greatly reduce the current strain on health budgets and help make the government’s vision of healthcare at home for the elderly a reality.

“If the idea takes off, BBNs could also lead to a reduction in the number of base stations needed to service mobile phone users, particularly in areas of high population density. This could help to alleviate public perceptions of adverse health associated with current networks and be more environmentally friendly due to the much lower power levels required for operation.”