Capacitive Voltage Mode Low-loss Wideband Human Body Communication

The evolution of computing has led to widespread growth of wearable smart devices (fitness trackers, smartphones, apple watch, pressure sensors, etc.); the signals communicating with each other on the person form a network known as Body Area Network (BAN) or Human-Internet, and are typically connected via Bluetooth. However, Human Body Communication (HBC) has recently emerged as an energy-efficient and secure alternative that uses the human body as a communication medium. While there is a usable network encompassing a single person, there was no method for expanding this personalized network any further until researchers at Purdue University developed a secure human-internet device using dynamic human communication. The wearable device is capable of communicating human-human or human-machine interactions to create dynamic HBC channels for information exchange during actions like handshaking, subsequently expanding the network to usable Human-Internet. Beyond this, there is need of more applications regarding Human-Internet.

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a wearable hub for health monitoring using HBC. The health monitoring device and system are built using Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) sensors and components that provide reliable connectivity; superior energy efficiency (more than 8X) over Bluetooth; and significant power efficiency, showing its advantage over the wireless system. This technology collects data from physiological sensors and transmits it through hubs worn on the body. In addition, data can be uploaded via hubs through human-machine interaction, i.e. Human-Internet, to an HBC capable machine.

Advantages:

-Energy efficient

-Dynamic

-Secure

-Reliable connection

Potential Applications:

-Human intranet/internet

-Information exchange

-Health monitoring

TRL: 4

Intellectual Property:

Keywords: Human Body Communication, HBC, Body Area Network, BAN, wearable smart devices, health monitoring, energy-efficient communication, secure communication, dynamic HBC channels, Human-Internet