Abstract:
Wireless sensors are capable of gathering real-time data not only from the environment but also from
the signals that the human body can generate. These tiny and smart tags may act as another layer of infrastructure
between the physical world and the Internet. However, a complete system of software tools. gateway devices
and reliable communication channels are needed to achieve this bridging. In our testbed we tested the limits of
implementing a mote-based system using commodity based hardware. In this paper. the authors discuss a new
method of implementing a portable and remote health monitoring system using wireless sensors, based on a
persistent monitoring ofbio-signals from an unwell or elderly person, using the concept of Body Area Network
(BAN). All the signals not only from the body but also from the environment, will be stored in a web server and
displayed graphically using an existing tool for monitoring network traffic, namely MRTG (Multi Router Traffic
Grapher). The aim is to allow secure remote access to certain health parameters in order to alert carers to
abnormal body signs, and provide a complete data collection at doctor's disposal. Consequently MRTG can
facilitate the determination of how changes in the environment affect vital signs (e.g. correlation between
weather and health). The researchers demonstrate that wireless sensors have a very high level of integration
with existing tools related to network monitoring. This will enable a new and powerful method for joining
physical and networks layers.
