Sensor-Aided EMF Exposure Assessments in an Urban Environment Using Artificial Neural Networks.

Shanshan Wang,Joe Wiart

doi:10.3390/ijerph17093052

Abstract

This paper studies the time and space mapping of the electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure induced by cellular base station antennas (BSA) using artificial neural networks (ANN). The reconstructed EMF exposure map (EEM) in urban environment is obtained by using data from EMF sensor networks, drive testing and information accessible in a public database, e.g., locations and orientations of BSA. The performance of EEM is compared with Exposure Reference Map (ERM) based on simulations, in which parametric path loss models are used to reflect the complexity of urban cities. Then, a new hybrid ANN, which has the advantage of sorting and utilizing inputs from simulations efficiently, is proposed. Using both hybrid ANN and conventional regression ANN, the EEM is reconstructed and compared to the ERM first by the reconstruction approach considering only EMF exposure assessed from sensor networks, where the required number of sensors towards good reconstruction is explored; then, a new reconstruction approach using the sensors information combined with EMF along few streets from drive testing. Both reconstruction approaches use simulations to mimic measurements. The influence of city architecture on EMF exposure reconstruction is analyzed and the addition of noise is considered to test the robustness of ANN as well.

Highlights

The risk perception of electronic-magnetic field (EMF) exposure [1] is nowadays a hot issue with the fast development of wireless communications
artificial neural networks (ANN), the Exposure Map (EEM) is reconstructed and compared to the Exposure Reference Map (ERM) first by the reconstruction approach considering only EMF exposure assessed from sensor networks, where the required number of sensors towards good reconstruction is explored; a new reconstruction approach using the sensors information combined with EMF along few streets from drive testing
The time and spatial mapping of EMF exposure induced by base station antennas (BSA) using ANN is studied in this paper

Summary

Introduction

The risk perception of electronic-magnetic field (EMF) exposure [1] is nowadays a hot issue with the fast development of wireless communications. In Europe, the EMF monitoring is often carried out using “one-time” measurement campaigns as described in [3,4]. The monitoring can be done using fixed sensors [6]. Autonomic in energy and wide-band sensors have been proposed [7]. These sensors are installed and tested in cities such as Paris and Toulouse ( Observatoire des Ondes [8]). The sensor networks, as well as on-site measurements, are of great interest, but both methods are localized, which means EMF exposure is monitored at limited locations. It is necessary to build an EMF Exposure Map (EEM) from these measurements

Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion