BodySim: A Multi-Domain Modeling and Simulation Framework for Body Sensor Networks Research and Design

Modeling and simulation are essential techniques for both engineering research and design. They enable many undertakings from early exploration of design concepts to understanding of complex phenomena. Body sensor networks (BSNs) are complex cyber-physical systems where resource-constrained networked computational systems must interact with highly dynamic and complex humans and their environment to achieve system goals of human health monitoring. Modeling and simulation in BSNs have so far been limited to just BSN components or looking at specific cyber-physical interaction issues. In this paper, we present BodySim, a multi-domain modeling framework that allows BSN designers and researchers to explore the cyber-physical issues in various systems scenarios by providing virtual human subject modeling capabilities and interfaces to virtual sensor models to allow experimentation and exploration in virtual space. We describe the architecture and our current instantiation of particular components for this framework. We also illustrate the kinds of explorations that can be done with this framework using our motivating applications in wireless communication and inertial sensing.