New Wearable Device Uses Human Tissue As Communication Medium

Scientists presented a new wireless communication method at the 37th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society in Milan, Italy.

Usually, signals from a wearable device (that track fitness) have been transmitted wirelessly with Bluetooth, which uses electromagnetic radiation. This type of signal propagation is severely impeded by human tissue and often needs a power boost to get the signal through.

In the new study fromUC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, the scientists demonstrated a method called magnetic field human body communication, which uses human tissue as a communication medium. This means the method is not depending on the usual method of transferring the signals through air.

The UC San Diego team developed a prototype consisting of copper wires and PVC tubes. One end is connected to an analyzer while the other end is coiled around arm, head, and leg to induce a magnetic field.

This device impressively transferred signals from arm to arm and leg to arm. Interestingly, the data loss was roughly 10 million times lower than what is associated with Bluetooth radios.



Source: Medindia