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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Antennas Propag.
Sec. Signal Propagation
Volume 3 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fanpr.2025.1509439
Multiphysics Finite Element Investigation of Galvanic Transmission in Dynamic Human Body Communications
Provisionally accepted- The University of the West Indies St. Augustine, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
Human body communication (HBC) utilizes the human body as the media to communicate data.A considerable amount of research has been done to characterize HBC channels to optimize communication techniques. However, dynamic HBC channels have been less studied. In this paper an approach for developing dynamic models of the human body channel for galvanic communication is presented using multiphysics finite element analysis (FEA). An analytical framework is formulated utilizing stochastic ABCD network parameters to explore and model dynamic HBC channels segments. Subjecting channel segments to mechanical forces, using the finite element method (FEM), reveals the impact on the current density and the electric field. Linear regression modeling shows a strong relationship between applied force, current frequency, and channel response, with R2 metrics exceeding 0.99. The dynamic nature of the channel reflects the need for stochastic modelling. This study examines candidate probability density functions (PDFs) to describe channel fading for the ABCD network parameters. The best probability density functions (PDFs) for each ABCD parameter were found for both the segments and the overall channel. Lognormal and Weibull distributions fit the magnitudes best while the Generalized Pareto, Generalized Extreme Value and Logistic distributions fit the phases best.Empirical modeling validated the accuracy of the Lognormal distribution fits found using the designed FEM. Consequently, the dynamic channel was characterized utlizing multiphysics FEM modelling, empirical modelling and ABCD network parameters. This information is invaluable for EM dosimetry analysis and risk assessment in Body Area Network (BAN) device design, as well as device optimization, as stochastic HBC parameters emulate the dynamic nature of the human body channel.
Keywords: ABCD parameters, channel fading, dynamic channel model, dynamic human body communications (D-HBC), Multiphysics finite element analysis, stochastic HBC, dielectric measurement, frequency domain analysis
Received: 10 Oct 2024; Accepted: 10 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Roopnarine and Rocke. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Aaron Roopnarine, The University of the West Indies St. Augustine, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
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