New technology uses human body to support communication network

A new method for turning the human body into a robust communication medium for networking electronic devices has been developed by a Purdue University team.

The new Human Body Communication system developed at Purdue allows devices within or worn on the body to communicate by using organic tissue as a direct medium, rather than sending a signal through the airwaves that could be hacked.

This makes it much more difficult for an attacker to gain access to the physical signals, while also requiring much less power than a wireless body area network, leading to a longer lifespan for the battery of implanted medical devices, while also making them more secure.

However, the potential applications are even wider than this, as in future this could allow contact information or virtual business cards to be shared securely through a simple handshake, or for smartwatches to interact with implantable medical monitors.

Shreyas Sen, an assistant professor in the Purdue School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said: "We can achieve secure connectivity within devices in or on the body and even among devices on different humans and machines, at orders of magnitude lower-energy than wireless. The applications are fascinating."

With over 20 years of experience within the service engineering market, we at Zenopa have the knowledge, skills and expertise to help find the right job for you. To find out more about the current service engineering roles we have available, you can search for the latest job roles, register your details, or contact the team today.