Engineers at the University of Washington have developed a way to communicate over short distances using devices that don't require batteries or transmit any signals.
They've developed a pair of devices that can successfully exchange data at speeds of up to 10kbps over a distance of up to 1 meter—something that could be useful in applications as varied as wearable devices or building sensors.
The secret to the unusual communications method is the TV broadcasting signals that fill the airwaves of cities and towns across most of the world.
The signals are some of the strongest on the air but reception can be degraded as reflections from buildings, trees and even aircraft affect the signal level received by an antenna. The researchers have taken advantage of the difference reflection can make as the basis for their system.
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