Although Bluetooth is currently on top of the short-range wireless communication market, a team of researchers at the University of California (UC) in San Diego developed a new wireless communication method that they say is more efficient and secure than Bluetooth, reported Engadget. The new alternative works be using the body's natural magnetic field to send data signals and could be the start of a new wave of wireless communication.
"In the future, people are going to be wearing more electronics, such as smart watches, fitness trackers and health monitors," said Patrick Mercier, the UC engineering professor that lead the study. "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."
The new system is ultra-low power due to the fact that magnetic fields can pass through human biological tissue without losing as much power, leading to less overall energy loss than current wireless communication methods, reported Fortune.
For those wary of using their body for wireless communication, the California researchers say that there are no serious health risks associated with the use of the device due to the low power of the signal. In fact, they claim that it is much less disruptive than an MRI, reported Z News.
Although the idea is still proof-of-concept, wearable technology is currently worth $200 billion worldwide and any advancements in the market can alter the landscape considerably.
