Wireless Doesn't Necessarily Mean Traveling Through The Air; How About Your Body Instead?

from the shake-my-hand-to-hear-this-song dept

Tue, Nov 28th 2006 7:55am — Mike Masnick

Two and a half years ago, we wrote about Microsoft's attempt to patent the use of the human body as a conductive material for transmitting data and power. We've heard of a few other attempts to do similar things as well, and now the New Scientist blog points to some of Sony's researchers who are trying to patent a way to use the body as a way to transmit music from a music device to a set of headphones. The idea is that you do away with the pesky wire (so last century), but also avoid having to use any wireless system that involves transmitting data through the air as well. Those create possibilities for interference with other, similar devices, and also run the risk of security problems as well. However, if the data is transmitted directly through your body, you avoid many of those problems. Of course, if they can get this to work, why bother with headphones at all? Why not then work on transmitting the sound in a way that your brain can tap directly into it? Quick, someone file the patent application...

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

17 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Joe Schmoe, 28 Nov 2006 @ 8:04am

"...Those create possibilities for interference with other, similar devices..."

No. I call BS on this. You can't share your music [wirelessly] with someone else if they can take that away.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Nov 2006 @ 8:15am

Re:
Hrmmm,....

so the new "squirting" may actually involve body fluids after all...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Terence Stern, 28 Nov 2006 @ 8:29am

And when you shake hands?
Does this mean that when you shake hands with someone similarly "enabled", you get a quick blast of whatever they're listening to, and they from you?

Can we share sweet music together if we just walk around holding hands?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
thinkart, 28 Nov 2006 @ 8:38am

Re: And when you shake hands?
holding hands? ummm....i can think of more fun ways to exchange music. hehehe
[ link to this | view in thread ]
mashup, 28 Nov 2006 @ 8:38am

Would shaking hands constitute a mashup?
If two people shook hands and shared their music, wouldn't this be a mashup? Then the RIAA could start suing anyone who shakes hands for making unauthorized mashups.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
TandemUser, 28 Nov 2006 @ 8:48am

Not from Sony, please
C'mon... these are the same people that have batteries exploding everywhere. Why I would I want them to create technology using my body as a conduit?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Larry, 28 Nov 2006 @ 9:28am

I am worried
WOuld this music compete with the voices in my head, or would it teach the voice to sing to me?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Paul, 28 Nov 2006 @ 10:09am

screw this technology, they should bring back QRIO. that thing rocked.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymouus of Course, 28 Nov 2006 @ 10:13am

Re: Re: And when you shake hands?
Music though the body, done that in the 60's.

This post reminded me of Don Brittian Enterprises
out of Hawaii and his sex electronics division. An
unsung 60's electronics pioneer... sorta.

Don't turn the music up too loud! It might tingle
some.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Nov 2006 @ 10:22am

Don't think the body would be an effective enough conductor....you would likely need a huge battery source, and then you ask, is it really needed to begin with?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Random User, 28 Nov 2006 @ 10:23am

Re: Not from Sony, please
You mean your worried about the potential for bodies expliding everywhere?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Nov 2006 @ 10:24am

You can use the body as a battery as well then forgo the betteries blowing up. You just need to eat your Wheaties in the morning.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
shane...., 28 Nov 2006 @ 10:32am

Re:
I locate underground utilities, we use a radio transmitter on 8kHz to 65 kHz range and i know that if i touch a lead to one finger and another to the wire i'm locating it will tone down, not as well as a direct hookup, but enough to send the signal down the wire for a few hundred feet compared to 500 or 1000 ft if i had a direct hookup. the radio transmitter only uses 8 d batteries. Your body naturally conducts electric. much like water... it could work.
If you wana try a way at home... get a portable radio or boombox with an antenna and touch it with bare fingers, you will amplify the recieved signal a bit.... a lot like tv rabbit ears. It's definatly feasable if not applicable.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
anonymous coward, 28 Nov 2006 @ 10:40am

bend over while we install the DRM chip. this may be a little cold at first...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
DV Henkel-Wallace, 28 Nov 2006 @ 12:34pm

"directly to the brain"
Your brain pretty much _can_ "tap directly into" audio. It's just a mechanical vibration of some bones (and thence some hairs). So why not just push the audio into the bones directly?

You can experience this just by putting the flat part of your headphones against your skull. Why not at your spine at the base of the neck?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
eponymous, 28 Nov 2006 @ 1:52pm

Rock the party that rocks the body
[ link to this | view in thread ]
mhh5, 28 Nov 2006 @ 2:05pm

direct to brain transfer -- Patented.
why bother with headphones at all? Why not then work on transmitting the sound in a way that your brain can tap directly into it? Quick, someone file the patent application...

http://www.musicgizmos.com/archives/audio_bone_bone_conduction_headphones.php

The bone conduction head phone ”Audio Bone” from Pegasus corporation Japan will available in 2 colors- Black (GDB-01) and white (GDB-02).The bone conduction technology sends vibrations through the skull straight into the brain for perfect, pure sound.

[ link to this | view in thread ]