Eco: ultra-wearable and expandable wireless sensor platform

Eco is a self-contained, ultra-wearable and expandable wireless sensor platform under 1cm/sup 3/. Previous platforms make trade-offs between size or expandability. Eco achieves both with a novel flex-PCB expansion connector for digital/analog I/O, firmware programming, and battery charging. It can be folded up without obstruction or clipped off if expandability is no longer needed. Only 15% the volume of MICA2D0T, Eco has the same size as the nonexpandable /spl mu/Part node but with several times more memory, processing and communication speeds. A separate data aggregator and a development/base-station board enable Eco nodes to form a high-performance body sensor network for pre-term infant monitoring and interactive dance.