What's New: NTT Uses Human Body To Network

Japanese company NTT has demonstrated a new technology that uses the body to carry a high speed networking signal. The system, called "RedTacton," uses the tiny electrical field that is emitted by, and exists around, the human body to transmit signals. NTT's prototype uses a card plugged into a PDA that can, from a jacket pocket, communicate to other devices its owner touches. This is the first such system that is high speed and requires no contact with the body.

The technology works with other materials such as metal, plastic, and ceramic. NTT's examples include a medicine bottle warning if a person with poor eyesight picks it up by mistake, or a group in a conference room networking through the table and each other. Car seats could adjust according to the person sitting in them.

Tuesday, Jul 26, 2005 01:08 pm CDT

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