Low-Power Synchronization for Multi-IMU WSNs

TL;DR

This paper introduces a low-power wireless synchronization method for multi-IMU sensor networks, balancing energy efficiency with synchronization accuracy suitable for healthcare applications.

Contribution

It presents a novel low-power synchronization approach that achieves sub-microsecond accuracy with minimal energy consumption in multi-IMU wireless sensor networks.

Findings

Achieves sub 1 microsecond synchronization accuracy with 74.8 J/h energy.

Provides a power-optimized implementation with 200 microsecond accuracy and 198 mJ/h energy.

Demonstrates suitability for healthcare-related multi-IMU applications.

Abstract

Wireless time synchronization is one of the most important services in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) are often used in these WSNs in healthcare-related treatments. We present a low-power, wirelessly synchronized multi-IMU platform. The proposed approach synchronously captures packets from different IMUs and transmits the data over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to a central Data Capturing Unit (DCU). The contribution of this work is, rather than focussing on the highest possible accuracy, to provide a low-power accurate enough solution for use in a multi-IMU WSN. We examine key factors affecting synchronization accuracy and elaborate on the implementation challenges. An accuracy of sub 1 us can be achieved with the approach using 74.8 J/h of energy, while a power-optimized implementation is presented with an accuracy of 200 us and an energy consumption of only 198 mJ/h. This approach suits the required accuracy and low-power requirements for a multi-IMU system.