You’ve heard of the Internet of Things – now get ready for the Internet of Bodies.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has quickly gone from concept to reality, as a wide range of devices have been interlinked to provide seamless functionality and an unprecedented depth of data.
Many of us are familiar with smart homes, smart vehicles and even increasingly smart cities that can communicate and interact with other devices and networks.
The Internet of Bodies (IoB) is a similar idea, but starts with the human body, linking it to devices for purposes such as biometric identification and health monitoring.
The general concept of this type of framework has been advanced before, but now a group of researchers has made a detailed study of how such a network would operate.
The researchers, from Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), published their findings in the IEEE Internet of Things Journal.
They described how wearable technology could be joined by smart devices that were able to be ingested, injected or implanted into the human body.
These could include smartwatches, cochlear implants, pacemakers and numerous other devices.
Connecting these devices via radio waves such as those used in a conventional Wi-Fi network could lead to security issues, as signals could potentially be intercepted for eavesdropping or biohacking purposes.
It is also not the most energy-efficient method of communication.
Human body communication uses the body’s own connectivity
A thorough investigation of possible IoB technologies suggested that human body communication (HBC) was the most promising.
This uses the conductivity of the body itself, sending small harmless signals through conductive tissues.
The researchers found that this approach used a thousand times less energy per bit than radio waves, while also providing better channel quality.
Due to the fact that every person has their own unique characteristics of conductivity, it is also perfect for bioauthentication.
The team suggested that it may be possible for your car to identify you as the owner when you touch the steering wheel, for example, or for your laptop to authenticate you through your fingertips on the keys.
They also said that it could have a major impact in many different areas, including healthcare, smart homes, sport and entertainment.
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