Technology does not stop evolving and, although the concept we are going to see today has been used for quite some time, the truth is that it is a point to be developed, with much to offer and that we can squeeze in many areas of our life: body area networks.
Sure you know the WLANs, right? WMAN may also, but do you know what WBANs are? Quiet, it’s usual. These are not the main topic of conversation in the bakery and, in fact, their incipient development means that they are not even in the contexts in which computer science and technology make an appearance.
Of course, if you are curious you must know that you have reached the right place because, in effect, we will be the ones who tell you what a body area network is, what it is for and how it is formed .
Index:
What is a Body Area Network and what is it for in computing?
La red de área corporal, llamada BAN por su nombre en inglés Body Area Network, es un tipo de red de la que se valen, para comunicarse, los dispositivos de pequeño tamaño y baja potencia que usamos en nuestro cuerpo. Así, deducimos que son las que menos alcance tienen.
The devices that use this are headphones, visors, microphones, smart watches, smartphones, glasses, nanobots, telematic bracelets … The BANs are also used by those that are implanted and used for medical purposes such as hearing aids, valves or pacemakers.
Joining several of these forms a system that allows information to pass from one to another and also to external platforms that can be consulted from, also, outside the system. The storage must be remote so that the devices are small and light.
As you can imagine, this type of network is quite current. In fact, it is something that is still developing timidly and has a long way to go.
Although we can see it in diverse sectors. In addition to the toilet, which is the main and the one that could benefit the most, let’s enjoy it in consumer electronics, in entertainment, in the work environment, in sports, in the improvement of person-person or person-machine communication and beyond.
At the moment, these use standards that we already know such as WiFi or Bluetooth, but ideally that can be interconnected with other types of networks such as WLANs, WPANs.
Components of a BAN network What do you need to create one?
Como decimos, la red de área corporal requiere de un sistema de elementos. Sin embargo, estos varían en cada caso. El único elemento indispensable es aquel capaz de gestionar la información que recibe de cualquiera de los demás, es decir, uno que haga de plataforma central. También vemos que debe existir un estándar comunicativo.
Depending on the type of functionality to enjoy, obviously, the devices and their possibilities will be diverse , but that is something that goes hand in hand, as we say, with what we want to achieve.
Let’s give an example: A runner wears a smart watch that measures their pulsations and other biometric parameters. When it considers, it tells you where the nearest source is. This will require a biometric sensor, a GPS, a database that indicates which parameters are “normal”, a query action to this …
On the other hand, we can see the case of the bracelets worn by people who have left prison. These call when the user exceeds an X distance from a point and a warning is given.
It will be necessary for the bracelet to be geolocated, a proximity sensor, an element capable of sending a signal, a device that receives the exceeded perimeter alert, a sound element that is activated when said signal is sent or when you are close to passing the stipulated distance, etc.
Indeed, some systems are totally different from others , and so we could continue to dismember each of them. What we want you to understand is that the elements that make up the body area networks differ as much as their objectives.
So, we stay with :
- An element or platform that manages information.
- A communicative standard.
- Elements or devices with the capabilities we want to achieve.
What kind of computer networks exist?
Finalmente, quisiéramos que te hagas una idea de lo que suponen las BAN comparándolas con los demás tipos de redes que existen:
- WAN networks or wide area networks . Its coverage is practically global, thousands of kilometers. With a few we provide connection to the entire planet. They use Cellullar Digital Packet Data technology, which allows the transmission of data by mobile phone.
The protocol par excellence for this type of connection is the famous WAP, a standard that does not limit the devices, being indifferent aspects such as, for example, its operating systems. We also use satellite communication to access the most difficult areas of communication by other means.
- MAN networks or metropolitan area networks . Its scope is hundreds of kilometers, which means that they are chosen by the operators to cover areas of coverage of their Internet connection services.
They work with the WiMAX standard, whose transmission speed is 75 Mpbs with frequencies that can reach 66 GHz, which means that an effective architecture design can be given multipoint.
- LAN networks or local area networks . Of lower rank, they are of great interest because the bands they use do not have a license, which means that anyone can use them assuming a minimum investment to do so.
They are that we use on foot users to connect to the network , both by cable and connecting wirelessly (in this case they would be WLAN). We do it by connecting to a coverage point keeping a certain distance from it while it is interconnected with others (including servers, antennas and other devices) distributed throughout of the area that is covered.
- PAN networks or personal area networks . Still in development like the ones we are dealing with today, PAN networks are born so that user and network come closer and are part of the same system, seeking the integration of nearby services to this and, therefore, automation, as far as possible and the environment.
For this, the devices that the user uses can communicate with each other (laptop, smartphone, digital camera, PDA, surveillance systems.
We would talk about a system that gravitates about 10 meters around the user and that work without the need for his body to be part of the communicative process .
- BAN networks or personal area networks . They would be those that less area or space cover, that is, those that work at a shorter range . We have already seen that the system consists of devices that go in the body of the user so the range of action is minimal , from a few meters at most (except for sending information, which would be done in combination with other types of networks) and always considering the body of the person as an element of transmission of information.
As for the types of local area networks, we have the WBAN and the WLAN . The difference between the two is that the latter would be wireless , hence its name, «Wireless Body Area Network».
Thus, one would be worth wiring to be functional, as is the case with local area networks, when we connect our computer to the router using an Ethernet cable. The other, as we say, would work without wires, using a wireless standard. Obviously, this last option is the one that makes sense in body reach systems.
Finally, indicate that we can also consider the existence of other types of networks, although these would be more specific such as VLANs, CANs and others. We can treat them all in another post in which we would see, one by one and in detail, all the existing ones.