Collaborative Research: Multi-Scale QoS for Body Sensor Networks

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The objective of this collaborative research project is to address the key quality of service (QoS) issues related to wireless body sensor networks (BSNs) to make them practical and efficacious for continuous, non-invasive monitoring of individuals in a variety of healthcare applications. The approach is to develop new system modeling and analysis techniques for design-time optimization and run-time management of application fidelity, network latency and throughput, and energy. The key feature of this project is the multi-scale approach to QoS, enabling designers to explore how techniques at each system level impact the other levels. This work will be validated and improved upon based on experimentation with physical BSN systems deployed in real BSN applications.With respect to intellectual merit, this research address the problem of achieving high levels of QoS under severe resource constraints, in complex environments, and with varying application semantics and contexts. While a layered approach to QoS management is appropriate for resource-heavy systems, BSNs require an integrated, multi-scale approach capable of finding operating points across system levels to maximize QoS metrics based on application-specific requirements and dynamic operating conditions.With respect to broader impact, the QoS issues addressed in this research are central to the ultimate acceptance of BSNs in the healthcare applications for which they have such promise. This project includes interactions with doctors and nurses to ensure that BSNs are addressing the requirements of real applications, including deployment in home healthcare and assisted living settings. The project also seeks to get young students excited about engineering through hands-on demonstrations and clear links to compelling applications.