A European consortium lead by Swiss based CSEM successfully launched the European Commission funded WiserBAN project, with the objective of developing innovative ultra-miniature RF microsystems for wireless body area networks (BAN) targeting primarily wearable and implanted devices for healthcare, biomedical, wellness and lifestyle applications.
The research plan addresses the extreme miniaturization of BAN devices, and will focus on the areas of ultra low-power MEMS based radio system on chip (SoC), RF and low-frequency MEMS and miniature components, miniature reconfigurable antennas, miniaturized and cost-effective system in package (SiP), sensor signal processing and flexible communication protocols.
The WiserBAN project will address primarily the following wearable and implantable use cases: hearing instruments, cardiac implants, insulin pumps and cochlear implants. In such applications where miniaturization and unobtrusiveness are a must, only limited wireless connectivity and autonomy can be achieved using today's wireless solutions because of their excessive size and power consumption. WiserBAN will push wireless microsystem technology beyond state of the art by delivering an ultra-tiny and ultra low-energy radio that will enable WBAN capability and novel product perspectives for wearable and implanted devices for use in lifestyle and bio-medical applications.
The WiserBAN project is geared to generate a major impact on the quality of life of European citizens, in particular for improving the comfort and access to ICT for impaired and disabled people of all ages carrying implants or wearing medical devices, as well as reducing the risk of social isolation.
The project will also target major technological breakthroughs in the BAN area and will push the state-of-the-art further through a comprehensive top-down system approach. Specifically, WiserBAN will develop highly integrated "radio, antenna and data processing" microsystems which should significantlyreduce the barriers in terms of size and power consumption of existing wireless solutions.
WiserBAN is an Integrated Project co-funded by the European Commission under Framework Programme 7. The project is coordinated by CSEM, which hosted the kick-off meeting of the WiserBAN project in September 2010, in Neuchatel, Switzerland. The project duration is 36 months and the consortium consists of leading research organisations, universities and enterprises from all over Europe: CSEM (coordinator), RTD Talos, CEA, Fraunhofer, VTT, Sorin, TDK-EPC, MED-EL, Siemens Audiologische Technik, Debiotech, Signal Generix, the Technical University of Berlin and the University of Bologna. Further information is available at www.wiserban.eu.
CSEM, Centre Suisse d' Electronique et de Microtechnique (Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology), founded in 1984, is a private research and development center specializing in microtechnology, nanotechnology, microelectronics, system engineering and communications technologies. It offers its customers and industry partners custom-made solutions based on its knowledge of the market and technological expertise derived from applied research. The center has spun off several start-ups. To date, a total of 29 enterprises, with more than 500 employees, have been launched by CSEM. Approximately 400 employees from various scientific and technical disciplines work for CSEM in Neuchâtel, Zurich, Basel, Alpnach and Landquart.
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