Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN): A Survey on Architecture, Technologies, Energy Consumption, and Security Challenges

Abstract

Wireless body area networks (WBANs) are a new advance utilized in recent years to increase the quality of human life by monitoring the conditions of patients inside and outside hospitals, the activities of athletes, military applications, and multimedia. WBANs consist of intelligent micro- or nano-sensors capable of processing and sending information to the base station (BS). Sensors embedded in the bodies of individuals can enable vital information exchange over wireless communication. Network forming of these sensors envisages long-term medical care without restricting patients’ normal daily activities as part of diagnosing or caring for a patient with a chronic illness or monitoring the patient after surgery to manage emergencies. This paper reviews WBAN, its security challenges, body sensor network architecture and functions, and communication technologies. The work reported in this paper investigates a significant security-level challenge existing in WBAN. Lastly, it highlights various mechanisms for increasing security and decreasing energy consumption.