6 research outputs found
Frequency-Domain Detection for Molecular Communication with Cross-Reactive Receptors
Molecular Communications (MC) is a bio-inspired communication paradigm that
uses molecules as information carriers, requiring unconventional transceivers
and modulation/detection techniques. Practical MC receivers (MC-Rxs) can be
implemented using field-effect transistor biosensor (bioFET) architectures,
where surface receptors reversibly react with ligands. The time-varying
concentration of ligand-bound receptors is translated into electrical signals
via field effect, which is used to decode the transmitted information. However,
ligand-receptor interactions do not provide an ideal molecular selectivity, as
similar ligand types, i.e., interferers, co-existing in the MC channel, can
interact with the same type of receptors. Overcoming this molecular cross-talk
in the time domain can be challenging, especially when Rx has no knowledge of
the interferer statistics or operates near saturation. Therefore, we propose a
frequency-domain detection (FDD) technique for bioFET-based MC-Rxs that
exploits the difference in binding reaction rates of different ligand types
reflected in the power spectrum of the ligand-receptor binding noise. We derive
the bit error probability (BEP) of the FDD technique and demonstrate its
effectiveness in decoding transmitted concentration signals under stochastic
molecular interference compared to a widely used time-domain detection (TDD)
technique. We then verified the analytical performance bounds of the FDD
through a particle-based spatial stochastic simulator simulating reactions on
the MC-Rx in microfluidic channels.Comment: Submitted to the IEEE for possible publication. arXiv admin note:
text overlap with arXiv:2301.0104
Universal transceivers: Opportunities and future directions for the internet of everything (IOE)
The Internet of Everything (IoE) is a recently introduced information and communication technology (ICT) framework promising for extending the human connectivity to the entire universe, which itself can be regarded as a natural IoE, an interconnected network of everything we perceive. The countless number of opportunities that can be enabled by IoE through a blend of heterogeneous ICT technologies across different scales and environments and a seamless interface with the natural IoE impose several fundamental challenges, such as interoperability, ubiquitous connectivity, energy efficiency, and miniaturization. The key to address these challenges is to advance our communication technology to match the multi-scale, multi-modal, and dynamic features of the natural IoE. To this end, we introduce a new communication device concept, namely the universal IoE transceiver, that encompasses transceiver architectures that are characterized by multi-modality in communication (with modalities such as molecular, RF/THz, optical and acoustic) and in energy harvesting (with modalities such as mechanical, solar, biochemical), modularity, tunability, and scalability. Focusing on these fundamental traits, we provide an overview of the opportunities that can be opened up by micro/nanoscale universal transceiver architectures towards realizing the IoE applications. We also discuss the most pressing challenges in implementing such transceivers and briefly review the open research directions. Our discussion is particularly focused on the opportunities and challenges pertaining to the IoE physical layer, which can enable the efficient and effective design of higher-level techniques. We believe that such universal transceivers can pave the way for seamless connection and communication with the universe at a deeper level and pioneer the construction of the forthcoming IoE landscape. Index Terms– Internet of Everything, Universal IoE Transceiver, Interoperability, Multi-modality, Hybrid Energy Harvesting, Molecular Communications, THz Communications, Graphene and related nanomaterials
Graphene and Related Materials for the Internet of Bio-Nano Things
Internet of Bio-Nano Things (IoBNT) is a transformative communication
framework, characterized by heterogeneous networks comprising both biological
entities and artificial micro/nano-scale devices, so-called Bio-Nano Things
(BNTs), interfaced with conventional communication networks for enabling
innovative biomedical and environmental applications. Realizing the potential
of IoBNT requires the development of new and unconventional communication
technologies, such as molecular communications, as well as the corresponding
transceivers, bio-cyber interfacing technologies connecting the biochemical
domain of IoBNT to the electromagnetic domain of conventional networks, and
miniaturized energy harvesting and storage components for the continuous power
supply to BNTs. Graphene and related materials (GRMs) exhibit exceptional
electrical, optical, biochemical, and mechanical properties, rendering them
ideal candidates for addressing the challenges posed by IoBNT. This perspective
article highlights recent advancements in GRM-based device technologies that
are promising for implementing the core components of IoBNT. By identifying the
unique opportunities afforded by GRMs and aligning them with the practical
challenges associated with IoBNT, particularly in the materials domain, our aim
is to accelerate the transition of envisaged IoBNT applications from
theoretical concepts to practical implementations, while also uncovering new
application areas for GRMs
Universal Transceivers: Opportunities and Future Directions for the Internet of Everything (IoE)
The Internet of Everything (IoE) is a recently introduced information and
communication technology (ICT) framework promising for extending the human
connectivity to the entire universe, which itself can be regarded as a natural
IoE, an interconnected network of everything we perceive. The countless number
of opportunities that can be enabled by IoE through a blend of heterogeneous
ICT technologies across different scales and environments and a seamless
interface with the natural IoE impose several fundamental challenges, such as
interoperability, ubiquitous connectivity, energy efficiency, and
miniaturization. The key to address these challenges is to advance our
communication technology to match the multi-scale, multi-modal, and dynamic
features of the natural IoE. To this end, we introduce a new communication
device concept, namely the universal IoE transceiver, that encompasses
transceiver architectures that are characterized by multi-modality in
communication (with modalities such as molecular, RF/THz, optical and acoustic)
and in energy harvesting (with modalities such as mechanical, solar,
biochemical), modularity, tunability, and scalability. Focusing on these
fundamental traits, we provide an overview of the opportunities that can be
opened up by micro/nanoscale universal transceiver architectures towards
realizing the IoE applications. We also discuss the most pressing challenges in
implementing such transceivers and briefly review the open research directions.
Our discussion is particularly focused on the opportunities and challenges
pertaining to the IoE physical layer, which can enable the efficient and
effective design of higher-level techniques. We believe that such universal
transceivers can pave the way for seamless connection and communication with
the universe at a deeper level and pioneer the construction of the forthcoming
IoE landscape
Odor-Based Molecular Communications: State-of-the-Art, Vision, Challenges, and Frontier Directions
Humankind mimics the processes and strategies that nature has perfected and
uses them as a model to address its problems. That has recently found a new
direction, i.e., a novel communication technology called molecular
communication (MC), using molecules to encode, transmit, and receive
information. Despite extensive research, an innate MC method with plenty of
natural instances, i.e., olfactory or odor communication, has not yet been
studied with the tools of information and communication technologies (ICT).
Existing studies focus on digitizing this sense and developing actuators
without inspecting the principles of odor-based information coding and MC,
which significantly limits its application potential. Hence, there is a need to
focus cross-disciplinary research efforts to reveal the fundamentals of this
unconventional communication modality from an ICT perspective. The ways of
natural odor MC in nature need to be anatomized and engineered for end-to-end
communication among humans and human-made things to enable several multi-sense
augmented reality technologies reinforced with olfactory senses for novel
applications and solutions in the Internet of Everything (IoE). This paper
introduces the concept of odor-based molecular communication (OMC) and provides
a comprehensive examination of olfactory systems. It explores odor
communication in nature, including aspects of odor information, channels,
reception, spatial perception, and cognitive functions. Additionally, a
comprehensive comparison of various communication systems sets the foundation
for further investigation. By highlighting the unique characteristics,
advantages, and potential applications of OMC through this comparative
analysis, the paper lays the groundwork for exploring the modeling of an
end-to-end OMC channel, considering the design of OMC transmitters and
receivers, and developing innovative OMC techniques