Prof. Mohamed K. Kamara ph.D

To be precise, it is best to explain with examples how reliable technologies like those described in section 3 contributed in the deployment of a Dependable and Secured Wireless Communications Network. Wearable Networks are typical examples of Dependable and Secured Wireless Networks. The most important factor in wearable computing systems is how the various independent devices interconnect and share data. An off-body network connects wearable networks to other systems that the user does not wear or carry, while an on-body or personal area network connects the devices themselves (the computers peripherals, sensors, and other subsystems). The advent of portable computers and wireless communication technologies such as IEEE 802.11, also known as Wi-Fi, has ensured reasonable anytime, anywhere connectivity. However, this free flow of information must be regulated to disseminate data effectively in a wearable network. In addition, because wearable networks must operate under several constraints, they have unique requirements with respect to mobility, bandwidth, power conservation, portability, security, radiation levels, and Internet connectivity. The degree of mobility is application dependent. Connectivity issues extend beyond the needs of a single user, and corporate-level standardization and technology integration must be taken into account. Both off-body and personal area networks must not have line-of-sight (LoS) requirements. Connecting several devices in a system with little available portable power introduces complications. Factors that affect a device’s battery life include traffic patterns, passive modes such as sleep, and the transmit/receive duty cycle. Advances in very large-scale integration, signal processing, and battery technology are improving power management in both hardware and software. Devices must be small enough and lightweight enough to carry in a pocket or embed within the fabric. When a user becomes an integral member of a wearable community, privacy and security are of paramount importance, especially in a wireless medium, which is inherently less secure. Although studies on the harmful effects of radiation from cell phones and other wireless devices are inconclusive, safety is becoming a more important design consideration. In general, it is desirable to contain radiation to the surface of clothing and away from the body; especially as the usage of wearable electronic devices increases. Finally, the wearable device must ultimately connect to the Internet, which could occur in three ways. One approach uses a proxy gateway at some off-body access point to interface to the Internet, with all on-body subsystems communicating via a non-IP protocol. This efficiently uses scarce IPv4 addresses, but the proxy is a potential, but the proxy is a potential bottleneck because it can become overloaded with requests. Another solution merges the proxy’s functionality with an on-body hub assigned a single IP address, again with non-IP subsystem communication. A third approach assigns device-specific IP addresses to simplify communication. However, each device must be IP compliant, with sufficient computational resources to handle IP issues; this approach also hogs already scarce IPv4 addresses ‒ not an issue in IPv6. Wearable computers will likely use a combination of these approaches, with the more powerful devices in the personal area network running IP and secondary devices as sensors and personal peripherals using non-IP communication. #