Wireless control for life-critical actions

Healthcare is one of the application areas of real-time wireless communications and control. With the development of communication and control technologies, there is a potential to transfer not only observed data but also skills over wireless links. Telesurgery and remote diagnosis are examples of transferring skills with real-time wireless control. Such applications include observing patients as well as diagnosing them remotely, which is the transfer of skills of doctor to the remote location. In this chapter, we discuss real-time wireless control for life-critical actions. In particular, we introduce the basics of wireless control systems and discuss the fundamental design capabilities needed to realize real-time wireless control, with primary emphasis given to communication-control co-design. The goal is to provide integrated solutions for life-critical actions in healthcare. A co-design system model is proposed and explained in detail. Simulation results are discussed and benefits of co-design are depicted in terms of both control and communication performance.