Communications

Adventures in the Skin Trade

(Page 3 of 3)

  • April 29, 2005
  • By Eric S. Brown

Before the technology goes commercial, Sakamoto says, it will probably first be integrated into security applications. Because RedTacton avoids wireless snooping, touch-based purchases would be private and provide authentication to vendors, allowing people to do things such unlocking a door simply by touching the knob.

Edging toward the Big-Brother scenarios that all such pervasive technologies seem to enable, RedTacton could be built into objects such as filing cabinets so companies could keep track of who used what.

Assuming NTT Labs has solved its power problems and can regularly achieve even a quarter of its top, 10Mbps rate, it should find a place in the market. The biggest challenge is the glut of competing short-range wireless formats that use more proven technology.

While NTT positions RedTacton against the leading short-range contender, Bluetooth, perhaps the more apt comparison is with the up and coming Near Field Communications technology. NFC's RFID-like technology only transmits at a few hundred kilobits per second, but it's likely to be much cheaper than RedTacton (or any other competing technology), and like RedTacton, it boasts greater security due to its short, 10-centimeter range. Sony and Philips hope to get NFC embedded in everything from cell phones to smart cards over the next few years.

Aside from offering greater bandwidth, RedTacton's biggest advantage over NFC and other wireless technologies is convenience.

"You do not have to take your ID card from your pocket," says Sakamoto. "Just touching or walking with your PDA in your pocket is enough for authentication."

Some people will be highly attracted to the idea of using their bodies as networks, and new applications could flourish. Yet psychological barriers could prove a problem with many users. Even if convinced of the device's safety, some might worry about privacy or theft from accidental physical contact. With proper security, these are not serious problems, yet some users might also feel a vague sense of violation of their personal space.

Sakamoto argues that we have overcome such psychological barriers many times in the past.

"If the user benefit is much larger than their concerns, people will start to use it," he says. "This is exactly what happened to cell phones."

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neha

1 Comment

  • 1968 Days Ago
  • 09/26/2006

how to make han transreceiver

sir i am an electronics and communication engineering student... i am interested in making human area network as my major project.. can u please provide the necessary circuit details of making the redtacton chip.... also the cost of redtacton transreceiver....
i will be highly obliged if u could send the details as soon as possible

Reply

arunvijay

1 Comment

  • 1299 Days Ago
  • 07/26/2008

Re: tell me about human area networking

Reply

payal

1 Comment

  • 1842 Days Ago
  • 01/30/2007

redtacton

i wanted to know why this han is more advantageous than other networks?and also will it cause any harm to the human body or skin?what types of facilities are provided by this network?please try to give me answers as early as psbl.i need it.

Reply

tillu.sowmya

1 Comment

  • 1752 Days Ago
  • 04/30/2007

Re: redtacton

Reply

rakeshbabji

1 Comment

  • 1811 Days Ago
  • 03/02/2007

help me,,,,

hello sir,
i wanna know how this redtacton(han) provides
network security, and also how it works when
transmitter and reciever is their with every one
i mean everybody can do transfer data!!!!!!
if it is it will be a big disaster....

Reply

viddu2u

1 Comment

  • 1786 Days Ago
  • 03/27/2007

confused..

hello sir,
i want to know what happens if we have more than 2 redtacton enabled devices in our body and if we want to trnsmit to a particular device only.for example if we want to transmit from mp3 player to head set n if we have one more device which is redtacton enabled ,what will happen?????

Reply

Moqthiyar

1 Comment

  • 1436 Days Ago
  • 03/11/2008

Query

1.It was said that electric field'll travel through wood also, considering it as a dielectric, just like capacitor.
but in capacior, we have two plates of opposite charges,due to which, electric field gets developed in between plates.how can the same concept be applied with wood?
2. red tacton has a potential to use device in human body also!eventhough the currents due to electric field r minute,how can u say that it'll not have any long term effects to the parts inside body.it's ok on the surface of body as skin protects the body parts!
Hoping n waiting 4 reply........

Reply

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lucky0806

1 Comment

  • 559 Days Ago
  • 08/05/2010

Re: Query

in redtacton, how data is transfer through wood, glass..etc.

Reply

venki7

1 Comment

  • 578 Days Ago
  • 07/17/2010

red tacton

sir please send me latest developments in this field. also please give me details of red tacton. iam an engineering student and want to know this. so please send it to my id venkilovetorres@gmail.com. venki

Reply

manasi

1 Comment

  • 558 Days Ago
  • 08/06/2010

redtacton

sir please send me latest developments in this field. also please give me details of red tacton. iam an engineering student and want to know this. so please send it to my id m1pathak@yahoo.co.in

Reply

vijayshree91@gm

1 Comment

  • 135 Days Ago
  • 10/03/2011

i want to know what happens if we have more than 2 redtacton enabled devices in our body and if we want to trnsmit to a particular device only.for example if we want to transmit from mp3 player to head set n if we have one more device which is redtacton enabled ,what will happen?????

Reply

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