Electrical engineers at the University of California, San Diego demonstrated a new wireless communication technique that works by sending magnetic signals through the human body. The new technology could offer a lower power and more secure way to communicate information between wearable electronic devices, providing an improved alternative to existing wireless communication systems, researchers said. They presented their findings Aug. 26 at the 37th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society in Milan, Italy.
While this work is still a proof-of-concept demonstration, researchers envision developing it into an ultra low power wireless system that can easily transmit information around the human body. An application of this technology would be a wireless sensor network for full-body health monitoring.
"In the future, people are going to be wearing more electronics, such as smart watches, fitness trackers and health monitors. All of these devices will need to communicate information with each other. Currently, these devices transmit information using Bluetooth radios, which use a lot of power to communicate. We're trying to find new ways to communicate information around the human body that use much less power," said Patrick Mercier, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC San Diego who led the study. Mercier also serves as the co-director of the UC San Diego Center for Wearable Sensors.
This could lead to many lab hijinks.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday September 02 2015, @08:06PM
Intercept that, NSA!
Next step: mesh networking
(grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Refugee from beyond on Wednesday September 02 2015, @08:19PM
Mandatory probe installed at birth. Problem solved.
Instantly better soylentnews: replace background on article and comment titles with #973131.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 02 2015, @11:38PM
If I walk up to you and place my hand on your exposed forearm, will my "devices" be able to pick up your "transmissions"? Kenneth, what's the frequency?
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday September 03 2015, @02:13PM
"Mesh networking," the new party game.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday September 03 2015, @07:59PM
I wonder which party will be the first to include it in their electoral promises ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday September 02 2015, @08:10PM
Now, someone tell me what's wrong with the good ol' nerves [xkcd.org] as a transmission medium?
(grin... yes, I'm a Linux user)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 02 2015, @09:35PM
But does it insert Randall Munroe's rigid erection into your rancid yeasty vagina on demand?
Where's that ERECT PENIS [xkcd.com] you promised me, Randall?? Where is it???
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday September 02 2015, @08:31PM
Took only 50 years [wikipedia.org]. Probably after another 50 years, people will see wearing those gadgets as counter-culture [abc.net.au],
Or... maybe not [soylentnews.org]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Zinho on Wednesday September 02 2015, @08:55PM
I'm really hoping that the crazies who complain of EM hypersensitivity (e.g. allergy to WiFi and power lines) will simply self-select to not use this instead of starting a class-action lawsuit against the chipmaker who miniaturizes the send/receive units for this technology...
"Space Exploration is not endless circles in low earth orbit." -Buzz Aldrin
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 02 2015, @09:52PM
You know, it's very unscientific of you to dismiss out of hand any claims that you may dislike due to personal bias just because proof of those claims is not immediately forthcoming. Wi-Fi has become so pervasive that telling people not to use Wi-Fi is akin to telling people to get the fuck out of your exclusive society because society belongs to the elites who are exactly like you.
(Score: 2) by Zinho on Thursday September 03 2015, @04:57PM
Wi-Fi has become so pervasive that telling people not to use Wi-Fi is akin to telling people to get the fuck out of your exclusive society because society belongs to the elites who are exactly like you.
I made no such suggestion. I was suggesting that attacking producers of a potentially useful technology that has no possible method for transmitting beyond the person using it is unreasonable. If this technology causes pain to the wearer then that person should discontinue use; no one is forcing them to adopt this. Further, since this is a non-transmitting method of networking, the extraordinary claim that being near it causes suffering in people who claim electromagnetic hypersensitivity will require equally extraordinary proof.
You know, it's very unscientific of you to accept out of hand any claims that you may like due to personal bias when proof of those claims is not immediately forthcoming.
FTFY. I don't doubt that there are people experiencing real discomfort which they attribute to electromagnetic radiation. Unfortunately for them, despite concerted efforts from the global scientific and medical community [who.int] no link has been established between electromagnetic emissions and the symptoms reported. The researchers are careful to state [emfandhealth.com] that they believe the suffering is real: "a mobile phone triggers symptoms, but it doesn't do so through electromagnetic radiation." Many repeated tests over time have found the same thing. Science is on the side of the skeptics in this case, and burden of proof is now on those who claim against evidence to have a 6th sense for radio.
Regardless, I have high hopes that TFA's new technology may even be a great thing for people who can't use bluetooth headsets or hold their phone to their ear due to the discomfort they experience when doing so. A non-radio method of getting the sound to the ear would be a welcome blessing for those people.
In light of the other posts saying that this requires a full-circle band around a body part to receive, what are the odds that chokers with bone-conduction speakers become fashionable if this takes off? I just hope it doesn't look like a dog's electroshock training collar; it's going to need to be REALLY miniaturized to not look silly. It's probably more practical to embed it in a hat instead. [coolpile.com]
"Space Exploration is not endless circles in low earth orbit." -Buzz Aldrin
(Score: 3, Informative) by Gravis on Wednesday September 02 2015, @10:36PM
it has to be a complete band around part of your body. :(
Researchers noted that a limitation of this technique is that magnetic fields require circular geometries in order to propagate through the human body. Devices like smart watches, headbands and belts will all work well using magnetic field human body communication, but not a small patch that is stuck on the chest and used to measure heart rate, for example. As long as the wearable application can wrap around a part of the body, it should work just fine with this technique, researchers explained.
replace Bluetooth earpieces with magnetic headbands?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 02 2015, @11:19PM
yes, it's called the right hand rule.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by VortexCortex on Wednesday September 02 2015, @11:46PM
limited usefulness
On the contrary! There are multitudes of uses when combined with other electrical medical applications. Why, your heart rate sensing wrist band could detect increased activity and tell your waist band to stimulate your spine and reduce pain. [spine-health.com] When combined with social media depression detection [nytimes.com] it could detect when you're agitated and engage your mind controlling hatband / sweatband to treat your depression. [clinph-journal.com] You've got to think beyond communication applications: A band around your head, waist, or chest, wrist, ankle, etc. is just the sort of shape one needs for other EM induction devices.
The technology's cumbersome form factor may be of no issue to people labeled as anything from schizophrenic to depressive with new legislation coming down the pike that would criminalize not using prescribed mental treatments as a natural outcome of certain mental health court policies [mentalhealthamerica.net]; Some may not have a choice but to wear such body antennas in the future. Let's think bigger! Some schools already have students wear devices to monitor their receptiveness to mind numbing Common Core curriculum [dianeravitch.net], they could use trans-body wireless communication to switch on a hat's speech nullification field. [medicalxpress.com] Just imagine the possibilities with GPS or proximity sensors. Hold hands with your lover to engage orgasmatron. [bbc.com] Touch a doorknob you're not supposed to, your wrist phone informs the authorities, and if you've got a brain implant, head band or spinal stimulator you'll be incapacitated -- Or maybe the door just unlocks...
Whatever you do, do not question whether it's safe to pump electromagnetic fields through organisms with electrochemical nervous systems, and DO NOT allege that electromagnetic fields may be used to manipulate people's minds without their consent, especially not remotely. Ignore the patents, that is simply not possible, Citizen. [google.com]
In any event, this crap better run on open hardware / and free (libre) open source software. If not, well, I've always wondered what it would be like to be a hacker in one of those fictional cyberpunk dystopias...
TL;DR: Medical research proves putting EM into your body can affect your health, so "communications" isn't the only application.
(Score: 1) by Some call me Tim on Thursday September 03 2015, @06:15AM
From what I've seen of Bluetooth earpiece wearing a-holes talking very loudly while wandering around the super market, a highly constrictive neck band would be an improvement.
Questioning science is how you do science!
(Score: 1) by taylormc on Thursday September 03 2015, @01:40PM
In a case of convergent evolution, coupled with supreme irony, hearing aids (which use magnetic inductance for their "telecoil" feature) are now using Bluetooth to coordinate settings across the width of the human head.