The Internet of Bodies could reveal the truth about our health and protect us against misinformation.

It’s probably understandable that we are more obsessed with our health and longevity than any other aspects of our lives, including relationships, careers and money. It’s also probably fair to say that more advice is thrust at us on this subject than any other: what to eat or drink, how to exercise, when to sleep, how to avoid illness, how to live longer, happier and healthier.

Guidance on how to live better is changing continuously, as new scientific studies adjust previous conclusions and influencers leverage the power of the Internet to offer various theories ranging from convincing to crackpot (Breatharianism, anyone?). Who would believe it’s possible to survive on non-food substances including air, sunlight and cosmic energy? You can pay to be shown how, of course.

The Internet of Bodies (IoB) could transform our understanding of ourselves, as individuals and as a species. As an extension of the IoT, IoB adds value by aggregating information from the increasing number and diversity of biosensors available to us. By collecting more data about us from more and more diverse channels as new types of sensors and monitors are being marketed on a continuous basis, we can also analyze that data more quickly and in greater detail.

The concept of IoB is mature enough by now for us to identify three generations of technologies. What began with body-external devices – think wearables like smart watches and trackers – evolved to the second generation comprising of body-internal devices such as pacemakers, cochlear implants and swallowable digital pills. The latest generation, “body-embedded” devices, rely on close integration and interactions between the tech and the human body. Neural implants provide a prime example of this type of device and could soon become commonplace, helping users overcome problems such as movement or communication difficulties resulting from accidents or degenerative diseases. Progress is dependent on a high level of technical capability, such as perfecting robotic processes to install the implants. The necessary accuracy and precision are beyond human capabilities. Other known challenges include ensuring that the position of the implant remains accurate and connections are reliable over time.

Clearly, many of the sensors that would be included in an IoB network have existed for some time, although these continue to acquire more advanced or smarter capabilities. The improvements in heart pacemakers provide one example, evolving from the basic stimulation that would have felt so remarkable to patients of the 1960s into the sophisticated rate-adaptive devices of the 21^st century.

Today’s IoB solutions are predicated on pervasive wireless connectivity and computing power in the cloud as well as on edge devices to support state-of-the-art analytics applications. With the affordability that accompanies Internet technologies, these are the value-added ingredients that make IoB such a game-changing concept.

Empowered in this way, we can take advantage of the opportunities for collecting and analyzing biological data on a vast scale. Remotely recording multiple patients’ vital signs can centralize monitoring in hospitals. Similar to how automated meter reading helps utilities manage resources and boost operational efficiency, this can save consultants’ time and potentially improve patient outcomes by eliminating data-recording errors and capturing more frequent and timely insights. This is smart metering for clinicians. Moreover, by capturing relevant data from large numbers of cases, the pattern-spotting and anomaly-detection capabilities of AI can help us quickly understand diseases, develop effective remedies and create personalized treatment plans.

IoB-enabled telemedicine platforms now entering the market offer basic services such as heart monitoring for fitness and wellness as well as medical treatment. Potentially, these are just the start, although any significant expansion will demand progress on data privacy legislation. Existing rules about the storage and capture of medical data have mostly been written with little concept of the extent of data that can be harvested, the types of devices that can be used for capturing the data, or the opportunities to infer sensitive information from apparently harmless data. Inevitably, legislation will always lag technology. Although frustrating for some, this can provide valuable protection against unscrupulous influences that could easily cause damage in a loosely regulated landscape.

In addition to the data risks, the possibility will always exist that low-quality, ineffective or even potentially dangerous equipment could enter the market and pose a threat to health. In our haste to reap the rewards of progress in medical and health-related technology, including the IoB, the imposed caution of organizations like the FDA – and equivalents in other territories worldwide – provides a valuable counterbalance.

On the other hand, we can hope that many of the myths perpetuated widely and confidently through the Internet can be debunked with authority. Sadly, however, lifestyle misinformation is an established Internet genre that will probably continue to win acolytes. While the IoB can help us improve our health, it cannot change human nature.

Alun Morgan is technology ambassador at Ventec International Group (venteclaminates.com); alun.morgan@ventec-europe.com. His column runs monthly.

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