EHDC: An Energy Harvesting Modeling and Profiling Platform for Body Sensor Networks

Energy harvesting is a promising solution to the limited battery lifetimes of body sensor nodes. Self-powered sensor systems capable of quasi-perpetual operation enable the possibility of truly continuous monitoring of patients beyond the clinic. However, the discontinuous and dynamic characteristics of harvesting in real-world scenarios-and their implications for the design and operation of self-powered systems-are not yet well understood. This paper presents a mobile energy harvesting and data collection (EHDC) platform designed to provide a deeper understanding of energy harvesting dynamics. The EHDC platform monitors and records the instantaneous usable power generated by body-worn harvesters, while also collecting human activity and environmental data to provide a comprehensive real-world evaluation of two energy harvesting modalities common to body sensor networks: solar and thermoelectric. The platform was initially validated with benchtop tests and later with real-world deployments on two subjects. 7-h-long multimodal energy harvesting profiles were generated, and the environmental and behavioral data were used to expand upon previously developed Kalman filter based mathematical models for energy harvesting prediction. Results confirm the validity of the EHDC platform and harvesting models, establishing the potential for longer term monitoring of energy harvesting characteristics; thus, informing the design and operation of self-powered body sensor networks.