The Future Of 6G Wireless Technology Could Use Humans As A Power Source

The tech industry is booming as we see the likes of 5G wireless technology take center stage around the world.

But this is just the start of many great things as new research is already talking about the likes of 6G technology in the future.

Researchers hailing from the University of Massachusettes claim that 6G technology is going to be worlds apart from the rest as it may use humans as antennas.

We could see the likes of 6G telecommunications taking advantage of VLC which is another name reserved for fiberoptics making use of wireless technology. As of this moment in time, fiberoptics make use of very thin glass or even plastic strands that transmit data on light flashes.

While the wires are really small, they’re too fragile as well. And the team of researchers was seen mentioning how this low-cost variant is definitely an innovative manner of using waste energy through the likes of VLC and hence would use the human body as the antenna.

The new invention recycles waste energy so that it powers devices that can be worn and even those electronic devices that are large in size. While VLC is very simple and quite interesting too, it’s a big change.

Think along the lines of ridding radio signals to transmit data without wires. Light is used from LEDs and it turns on and off, around one million times each second. But what really makes the feature so interesting is how this infrastructure is already present.

Thanks to the world of advanced technology, we’re saying hello to homes, cars, offices, and streetlights that are lit using LED bulbs that are also transmitting data. Moreover, things that do have cameras like smart devices, laptops, and tablets may even end up being a receiver.

The researchers further elaborated on how VLC systems go through significant types of leakages of energy as LEDs transmit RF signals through side channels or even radio waves. And if scientists can better utilize such RF energy, they’ll put it to great use.

To make this an actual reality, the feature comes with an antenna that’s made from coiled copper wire that collects all kinds of leaked RF. Now, the biggest query that people have is what object makes the most of this energy collection.

As per researchers and their experiments on different surfaces and wire thicknesses, there are a wide array of results expected. The trial comprised of the coil being rested against the likes of plastic, wood, steel, and even cardboard while keeping phones and other devices switched on and off. Then, the researcher wrapped this coil around the human body and the results were electrifying.

The end result proved that humans are actually the best medium for the amplification of a coil’s ability to gather leaked RF energy. By attaching this coil to a human being, it ended up collecting nearly 10 times more energy than a simple bare coil.

These results also showed how cheap bracelets end up providing the best 6G service out there today. It’s a wearable device that’s called Bracelet+ which users can wear on a certain position of their forearm. Moreover, study authors saw how it could modify this so it would work as rings, belts, necklaces, and even anklets. But it’s the bracelet that actually did the best job at generating power as per the researcher’s results.

With a design that costs just 50 cents or less, it’s a wonderful invention, if we must say so ourselves and there’s a reason why people are getting excited about the future.


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