Bones Could Become Conduits For Data Swaps

Billosaur writes "New Scientist Tech has an intriguing article about researchers at Rice University in Houston, TX who are looking at ways to use the human skeleton to transmit data. The idea is to use bones to conduct sound waves, with 0's and 1's being represented by different frequencies. Preliminary results, shared with a conference on body networks in Florence, Italy, this week, show that bones can conduct even low-power vibrations with few errors. The idea is that the conduction of sound along bone would be more secure than that via radio waves, leading to the possibility of swapping data with someone by shaking their hand."

That makes sense.

[hkgroove (791170)]

I knew they got it wrong. Tinfoil does not stop the transmissions to my teeth!

Re:

[Enoxice (993945)]

Well what are you waiting for, then, let me see ya grillz!


Oh, God, did I actually just say that?

Re:

[pilgrim23 (716938)]

they should have asked drummers; they have been passing sound through "dem bones" for generations...

Re:That makes sense.

[monk.e.boy (1077985)]

My bone already has the ability to pass enough data to make a baby.

But not through a hand shake.

Insert joke about hand shandy.

:-P

monk.e.boy

What about other body rumblings?

[goombah99 (560566)]

Belch at the wrong time any you one-click purchased a lot 1000 beanie babys on e-bay. Farts cause a seg fault.

How long before the first virus?

[A nonymous Coward (7548)]

And passing spam -- o eeewwww yuck!

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[epistemiclife (1101021)]

It would rather suck if we became weary of handshaking for fear of filling our interfaced electronic devices with spam or (computer) viruses. I suppose that, in a bizarre way, it's a way for computer viruses to become human viruses.

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[Cornflake917 (515940)]

leading to the possibility of swapping data with someone by shaking their hand.

A new, disgusting way of obtaining porn.

"Here's Shaving Ryan's Privates: Midget Edition."

"Sweet thanks!"

*Squish*

"...ummm, what the hell. Did you wash your hands?"

"Oops!"

Re:

[Lord Apathy (584315)]

"Here's Shaving Ryan's Privates: Midget Edition."

Link please?

That unbearable sound you hear ...

[twitter (104583)]

... from billboards in the future could be just what you fear.

Depending on which medical uses people have for this "new" acoustic network, the results can be more serious than funny. If I had disabilities, M$ is the last company I'd want helping me out.

when it breaks

[qw0ntum (831414)]

Lends new meaning to the term "broken pipe."

unique clicks and clacks.

[twitter (104583)]

Similarly, tooth clacks or finger clicks could be interpreted by a receiver to activate, say, functions in a phone.

Behind the nauggahide door, the implications are sinking in, "Get that Vinnie, breaking duhr legs might really get em to pay up. Uhh, har har har." Vinnie does not get it, but laughs anyway.

I can see this really taking off

[grahamsz (150076)]

An implanted vibrator that would allow me to securely send data from my phone to someone elses phone. Really, how often does bluetooth actually fail to beam a business card?

Also I'd expect that the vibrations would exit through your feet and allow for snooping from ground based devices.

I can see the potential in the medical device field.

Re:I can see this really taking off

[eln (21727)]

You're thinking too small. Think "Data Centers in graveyards".

Think of the possibilities: Even after death, you could live on as an Ethernet cable for an AOL mail server!

Re:

[grahamsz (150076)]

Cross talk would be a killer if you tried to put a DC in a graveyard using low frequency FSK signalling.

Bass frequencies tend to travel through anything dense.

Re:I can see this really taking off

[hobo sapiens (893427)]

no way, dude! Zombie computers would take on a whole new, different, and frightening meaning.

And remember, when trying to escape a level 4 zombie outbreak, a dirigible is an excellent means of escape.

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[instanto (513362)]

A Beowulf Cluster of Zombies!

Sign me up!

Re:I can see this really taking off

[drinkypoo (153816)]

An implanted vibrator that would allow me to securely send data from my phone

We're talking about permanently implanting a vibrator and communicating with your phone is the best idea you can come up with?

Also I'd expect that the vibrations would exit through your feet and allow for snooping from ground based devices.

Your average shoe has a chunk of closed-cell foam rubber in it, I doubt it.

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[Hoi Polloi (522990)]

Wait until you see how they plan on transmitting porn.

Re:I can see this really taking off

[gstoddart (321705)]

An implanted vibrator

Sorry, you completely lost me after that. That's just so wrong. ;-)

Cheers

What would the interchange be called

[grahamsz (150076)]

We're using to "beaming" ecards to one another. The zune lets you "squirt" things.

Logically we'd have to say "Let me bone you my business card", and i'm not sure i like that.

Re:What would the interchange be called

[ls -la (937805)]

Logically we'd have to say "Let me bone you my business card", and i'm not sure i like that.

Just depends who the recipient is.

Who funded this?

[EveryNickIsTaken (1054794)]

I need to find out who funded this research. With the chance for practical usage ever at about 0.001%, it's clear that someone just has money to piss away if this is the research they're doing. That being said, I need USD$5 million to research a rocket car.

Re:Who funded this?

[Otter (3800)]

I need to find out who funded this research. With the chance for practical usage ever at about 0.001%, it's clear that someone just has money to piss away if this is the research they're doing.

As is frequently the case here (think yesterday's story about the judge supposedly demanding that RAM be turned over), if you read a blurb here and think "If true, that person must be really stupid!", it's worth R'ingTFA.

As usual, the submitter completely missed the point of the link.

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[jshriverWVU (810740)]

Imaging the military use for this. Soldiers could act like a connected grid, and since it's part of the actual body little to no actual material or weight is needed.

Great

[shoptroll (544006)]

Just what we need... an excuse for the MAFIAA to subpoena our bodies for network traffic analysis.

Funny...

[Fx.Dr (915071)]

The vast majority of people I meet can barely transmit their own data through their brains.

More details...

[Tmack (593755)]

During their extensive research and experiments, scientists discovered that sharing information between two people worked best with direct pelvis to pelvis contact, and have coined the term "PtoP" networking...

tm

New challenge for nerds

[ciaohound (118419)]

People could even swap information between devices via a firm handshake, Zhong suggests.

So, all of us slashdotters are finally going to have to develop firm handshakes. The horror! Will it also require looking people in the eye and smiling?

Tingle

[camperdave (969942)]

Conducting data by sending vibrations on my bones? This technology is making me tingle with anticipation.

Muahahahaha

[Experiment 626 (698257)]

So, human bones can be used to transmit data? Now, not only does my necromantic fortress of doom's decor scare the crap out of my enemies, I can save a fortune on cat-5 and fiber cabling.

virus alert

[lashi (822466)]

So now I can get virus and VIRUS by shaking hands with people? I think I will bow from now on.

Weather Prediction.

[pavon (30274)]

A storm's a-coming, I can feel it in ma bones.

Yeah yeah gramps, we all can. It's just the hourly SkyNet Subcutaneous Weather update.

Galdarn kids these days, no respect.

Uh..

[le0p (932717)]

I anticipate a lot of uncomfortable conversations about "boning."

diamond age

[superwiz (655733)]

Demonstrates a much more fun way of swapping data. But this discussion probably should stay family-friendly. Yes, the last thing you want to think about there is children.

Ouch...

[Dmala (752610)]

leading to the possibility of swapping data with someone by shaking their hand.

Except in a handshake, there would be two layers of fat, muscle, and skin separating your bones, which I would think would interfere with data transmission. Perhaps a good hard bite could be used to make a good connection?

Obligatory

[PPH (736903)]

Insert jokes about downloading pr0n via one's bone here:

Wow, this is a new idea..

[nurb432 (527695)]

I guess they never heard of the 'bone phone' from DAK back in the 80's.

Cant anyone do something original anymore? Or are we doomed to bad sequels and re-inventing the wheel for the rest of our existence on this planet?

Sound vibration through bones is old tech

[problah (174691)]

I believe it was made illegal in the 50's-60's in Canada because it was though to cause bone (cartilage) degridation, and arthritis.

Transmitting 1's an 0's is new, as these were originally made to hear music throughout your entire body. If someone has a link, I don't, but I heard about this from my grandparents when I was younger.

Health issues?

[incer (1071224)]

What about health issues? And how does it work out with diseases (or disfunctions) like Osteoporosis and Arthritis?

Incorrect, misleading claim

[Toffins (1069136)]

There is something badly wrong with this article and it reflects very badly on the standard of journalism in New Scientist magazine. The article suggests that using bone vibrations to send messages is necessarily secure (against interception) because interception requires direct physical contact. However, that claim simply is not true. It should be obviously untrue from an understanding of elementary physics.

Think what happens when the device is operating. The vibrations it generates will propagate as soun

Ok, this far, and AT&T's quote hasnt been said

[sethstorm (512897)]

Now "Reach out and touch someone" has some actual meaning to it.

Not to mention...

[Kelson (129150)]

"I can feel it in my bones"
and "I know it in my gut."
etc.

another verison of this from 1996

[fikx (704101)]

quoted from the write-up: "... The idea is that the conduction of sound along bone would be more secure that via radio waves, leading to the possibility of swapping data with someone by shaking their hand."
This general idea was also tackled by Thomas Zimmerman doing research for IBM. His idea did the same thing using signals carried on the skin (which didn't need the FIRM handshake to work :) Not sure how that compares to this, but both manage the same trick
Here's a link : PAN Fact Sheet [ibm.com]

New RIAA tactic

[frdmfghtr (603968)]

Now when the RIAA sues you for "an arm and a leg," they won't be kidding!

as a software pirate let me just say

[thegnu (557446)]

Arrrrrr! Shiver me timbers!

You might want to sleep on it.

[twitter (104583)]

Jolly old pirate, thegnu, says

Arrrrrr! Shiver me timbers!

And so the DVD shook him all night long, again and again.

Obligatory

[thegnu (557446)]

Incoming Squirt!
Cancel or Allow?

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[Billosaur (927319)]

Just think of what this will do to chiropractors... they'll all suddenly have to become IT experts.

Chiropractor: Here's the reason your bandwidth is so low... CRAAAAACCCKKK!!!

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[miskatonic alumnus (668722)]

Silly AC, your music hasn't been stolen: You have been copyright violated or RIAAPEd.