Macroscopic Diffusion-Based Molecular Communication by Use of a Suspension of Relays

该项目的目的是开发和分析一种新的基于宏观扩散的分子通信模型，该模型基于中继器的悬浮，即介质中的大量中继器，特别是流体中的大量中继器。这一概念将首次实现厘米和米尺度上的分子通信，而不需要主动的物质运输。通过放弃主动传输，应避免例如在层流中观察到的信号失真以及因此的码间干扰。神经细胞通过动作电位的触发和随后的不应期，以及在组织中产生激发波，作为中继细胞的生物模型。对于这种行为的抽象模型，应确定关于数据传输的小区参数的适当范围和最佳值。相比之下，精确复制生物过程并不是有意的。这种设置将被描述为随机模型，其中，与文献中的其他扩散方法相比，随机性在于中继单元的随机分布位置，即重叠扩散过程的源。此外，还应研究分子浓度波动和中继室参数的随机变化的影响。与以前的方法相比，需要考虑大量的中继池，这是在宏观距离上使用扩散所必需的，并且可以从具有离散继电器的模型过渡到连续介质模型。以这种方式，码元‘1’的传输由介质中的激励波表示。因此，除了主动传输和纯扩散之外，还应引入第三种形式的分子数据传输。除了分析数据传输性能与系统参数的关系外，还应讨论在试验台中实现模型的选项。

The aim of the proposed project is to develop and analyse a novel model for macroscopic diffusion-based molecular communication based on a suspension of relays, i.e, a large number of relays in a medium, particularly a fluid. This concept shall for the first time enable molecular communication on a centimetre and metre scale without active material transport. By waiving active transport, distortions of the signal and hence intersymbol interference, as observed for example in laminar flow, shall be avoided. Nerve cells, with the triggering of an action potential and a subsequent refractory period and with the development of an excitation wave through the tissue, serve as a biological model for the relay cells. For an abstract model of this behaviour, suitable ranges and optimal values of the cell parameters with respect to data transmission shall be determined. An exact reproduction of the biological processes, in contrast, is not intended. The setup will be described as a stochastic model, where the stochasticity, in contrast to other approaches for diffusion in literature, lies in the randomly distributed positions of the relay cells, i.e., the sources of the overlapping diffusion processes. Furthermore, the influence of a fluctuation of the molecule concentration and a stochastic variation of the parameters of the relay cell shall be investigated. In contrast to previous approaches, a large number of relay cells shall be considered, which is necessary to use diffusion over macroscopic distances, and shall enable the transition from a model with discrete relays to a continuum model. In this way, the transmission of a symbol ’1’ is represented by an excitation wave in the medium. Thus, in addition to active transport and a pure diffusion, a third form of molecular data transmission shall be introduced. In addition to the analysis of the data transmission performance in relationship to the system parameters, options for an implementation of the model in a testbed shall be discussed.