Prototype system uses body for secure bio-communication

Current wireless transmission around the body generally relies on Bluetooth, which can be detected up to five metres away. This provides an opportunity for these signals to be intercepted or manipulated, potentially putting a user’s pacemaker in the hands of a hacker. Though an instance of this has yet to be recorded, the proliferation of wearable tech and implanted devices makes it increasingly likely in the future.

Developed by engineers at Purdue University, the new system uses a technique called Electro-Quasistatic Human Body Communication (EQS-HBC) to create a ‘covert body area network’. Using very low-frequency signals, information can be sent via the body itself between devices – such as a smartwatch and an insulin pump – with the signal never travelling beyond 15cm of the body. The work is described in the journal Scientific Reports.

"We're connecting more and more devices to the human body network, from smartwatches and fitness trackers to head-mounted virtual reality displays," said study author Shreyas Sen, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue.