WirelessBodyAreaNetwork
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Wireless body area network allows your body to send status updates to your cellphone
Dutch researchers recently demonstrated a new type of wireless body area network, or BAN for short. A BAN essentially gives the human body its own IP address, and the new techniques demonstrated at IMEC based in Eindhoven incorporate a dongle that plugs into the SD card slot of a cellphone, enabling the streaming of data from the sensors to the cellphone in real time. The demonstrated software, which runs Android OS and uses the nRF24L01+ radio wireless standard rather than Bluetooth. So what does this mean for the future of medicine? Well, with just a few EKG-like sensors, people with medical conditions such as heart problems, or athletes in training, will be able to monitor their own body on their cellphones. The technology is still in the demo phase, but it's one we look forward to seeing in practice. Video is below.
Wearable ECG uses patient's posture for encryption, transmits data over Body Area Network
Though its fun to think of the Body Area Network as another way for cheap employers to get out of paying for properly wiring your workspace, the most obvious uses for this technology would seem to be in the realm of health care. To this end, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) in Japan has developed an ECG that can be worn 24 hours a day, wirelessly transmitting electrocardiographic data as well as measuring changes in body surface temperature and posture. The data can even be transmitted securely using cryptographic keys dynamically generated by the patient's posture and biological data (which are unique to each user). We'll let you guys ponder the cypherpunk ramifications of this technology in the comments -- and be sure to check out the additional pic we have for you after the break.
