In this letter we consider the problem of linear distributed estimation (DES) of a random parameter in a wireless body sensor network (BSN). We propose a novel architecture, and an associated optimization model, for DES in BSNs that is based on the deployment of a body-coupled communication (BCC) network that allows the nodes to communicate through the human body.
BCC allows optimized data collection and onbody sensor fusion. The implications of our DES architecture for BSNs are significant savings in energy consumption and spectrum utilization.