3D localization for biomedical wireless sensor networks using a microantenna

This paper presents a solution for electrode localization in a body-area network using a low-frequency microantenna and a localization algorithm. Electrode positioning is a common issue in any physiological experiment. Although wireless node localization is a topic under active research, a precise method with few centimetres of range and a resolution in the order of millimetres is still to be found, since far-field measurements are very prone to error. Low frequency signals are used to avoid attenuation by the body. The calculation of 3D coordinates for each electrode in an anchorless environment is based on the Self Positioning Algorithm (SPA). The designed solution relies on the association of a small antenna to measure the magnetic field and a microcontroller to each electrode, which will be part of the wireless sensor network module. The implemented solution is suitable for EEG applications with expected range of 20 cm and resolution of 5 mm.