BAN Over-the-Air testing using an arm-swinging dynamic phantom

Abstract

This paper presents a new methodology of an Over-the-Air (OTA) testing using an arm-swinging dynamic phantom applied to wireless Body Area Network (BAN) systems. The phantom has unique features, in that swinging of the right and left arms and the direction and speed of swing can be controlled independently, leading to excellent capability for replicating the variety of natural walking and running styles seen in the average human. Using the phantom, we have developed a spatial fading emulator to make the performance assessment of a BAN radio module. In this paper, the configuration of the developed fading emulator with a dynamic phantom used for BAN-OTA Testing is shown. We also present on-body multipath characterization of BAN radios. Particular emphasis is placed on the evaluation of K-factor in indoor environments. It is revealed that the K-factor changes mainly due to the variations in the direct wave between two antennas caused by the shadowing effects of the human body.