Page 35 - ITU Journal Future and evolving technologies Volume 2 (2021), Issue 5 – Internet of Everything

ITU Journal on Future and Evolving Technologies, Volume 2 (2021), Issue 5

4.1 Wearables in healthcare 4.2 Smart metering

In today’s digital world the term “wearable” refers to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is an integral
accessories such as a smartwatch on a business execu‑ part of Smart Grids (SGs) and smart metering is one of
tive’s wrist, a head‑mounted display worn by an immer‑ the most promising applications of IoE. AMI, besides en‑
sive gamer, a tiny sensor on a cyclist’s helmet, or a smart abling accurate consumer billing in the presence of dy‑
garment a runner uses to track and monitor his steps namic pricing and improving ef iciency and reliability of
[61]. The ability of sensing comes from the embedded electricity distribution in the presence of distributed gen‑
sensors in wearables. The functional attributes such as eration, will be used in water and gas utility distribution
multi‑functionality, igurability, responsiveness and networks in smart cities as an application of IoE. Renew‑
bandwidth depend on the nature of an application. Cur‑ able energy producers and mobile energy storage can be
rently, two industry giants, Apple and Google dominate linked and utilized by SGs’ infrastructure. AMI commu‑
the wearable technology market by‑products released nication networks can be divided into Home Area Net‑
[62]. The seamless integration of wearables in healthcare works (HANs), Neighborhood Area Networks (NANs) or
settings will have to ensure compatibility with existing Meter Local Area Networks (MLAN) and Wide Area Net‑
wireless technologies and established operational proto‑ works (WANs) [66, 67]. Connections among distributed
cols in these settings. Sensor Platform for Healthcare in energy resources, GWs, Electric Vehicles (EVs), Smart Me‑
Residential Environment (SPHERE) is a multi‑modal plat‑ ters (SMs), etc. are provided by the HANs. SMs that need
form of non‑medical sensors for behaviour monitoring to send their data to the corresponding data concentrator
in residential environments that utilize inherently cost‑ are facilitated by the NANs or MLAN. Appliances such as
ef icient and scalable IoE technologies [63, 64]. The origi‑ entertainment systems, lighting systems, energy storage
nal health evidence is collected from the physiological sig‑ and EVs constitute HANs and SMs act as home GWs that
nals of a human body using diverse biosensors. These link the HANs with the NANs [68]. Connections between
biosensors can be deployed in an implantable (in‑body), some data concentrators and the central system are pro‑
wearable (on‑body), portable (off‑body) or environmen‑ vided by WANs.
tal modality. The home environment and the resident in‑
teraction with the environment are monitored in a Home The choice of a suitable technology in AMI depends on
(SH) by a system of pervasive information and communi‑ application requirements such as security, privacy, band‑
cation technologies consisting of sensor systems. width, latency, reliability, energy ef iciency etc. Power
Line Communications (PLC) and wireless communica‑
Enabling the sensing platform for remote monitoring re‑
tions are widely used in SGs as the overall system reliabil‑
quires networking technologies to provide ubiquitous
ity can be enhanced by exploiting the diversity achieved
network connectivity between residents and clinicians.
from the simultaneous transmission of the same signal
L TE and Bluetooth are possible networking solutions for
over power lines and wireless links. Wireless Sensor Net‑
medical sensors as the application requires low latency,
works (WSNs) are attractive solutions for AMI because
high reliability and low capacity [65]. Energy‑ef icient,
of their low‑cost deployment and multiple functionalities.
IP‑enabled sensing networks can allow access to exist‑
However, one of the challenging tasks for WSNs is to en‑
ing Internet infrastructures removing the need for trans‑
sure QoS requirements for AMI applications. Typically,
lation gateways or proxies in hardware and software. It
SMs are connected to the Distribution System Operators’
will improve the user experience and require less main‑
(DSO) backend system in two ways: 1) a concentrator
tenance effort. Although WiFi has the signi icant advan‑
gathers the data from the SMs in its neighbourhood using
tage of being Internet Protocol (IP) enabled, the hard‑
Wi‑Fi or PLC connections and then relays it using cellular
ware used in WiFi connectivity consumes relatively more
or a wired connection to the DSO backend, or 2) Each SM
power and therefore, less suitable for long‑term deploy‑
sends data to the DSO backend using a cellular network
ments of an application that utilizes battery‑powered sen‑
[69]. IEEE 802.15.4 (e.g., ZigBee and Zwave), IEEE 802.11
sor nodes. 6LoWPAN has better support for multi‑hop
(WiFi) are some of the technologies used in HANs [66].
mesh and thus, it was selected for the environmental sen‑
Although PLC has been the primary choice for communi‑
sor network and data forwarding in SPHERE [63]. On the
cation between the SMs and data concentrators, wireless
other hand, BLE was chosen for collecting the data from
mesh networks in AMI have been proposed and deployed
the wearable nodes for being more convenient. SPHERE
widely. The use of L TE as a NAN technology was dis‑
uses IPv6 on top of the IEEE 802.15.4 TSCH protocol to
cussed in [68]. Some of the potential WAN technologies
provide time synchronization to the network and ensure
are IEEE 802.16 (i.e., WiMAX), IEEE 802.20 (MobileFi),
time‑stamping all of sensor data with high accuracy. Zig‑
PLC, IEEE 802.11 (WiFi) and IEEE 802.15.4 (ZigBee) [66].
Bee was used in the irst version of the SPHERE. However,
LoRaWAN can be used in applications with relaxed QoS
ZigBee uses a single channel at a time and does not have
requirements such as latency tolerant services of a Power
time slots. WiGig products based on IEEE 802.11ad may
Wireless Private Network (PWPN) [70].
replace Bluetooth and WiFi at some point in future for
applications with high throughput requirements as Blue‑
tooth and WiFi have very limited scaling capability.
© International Telecommunication Union, 2021 23