The main thing I got from the MIT article is this:<p>"This system relies on an array of antennas that emit radio waves of slightly different frequencies. As the radio waves travel, they overlap and combine in different ways."<p>This is known as constructive interference, pretty nifty to see it used in this context. The range has been increased from 10 cm to 1 meter since the paper I co-authored on this subject. Impressive!<p>These kinds of applications have also been a long time coming. With IoT devices and NFC readers looming around the corner, I think it is likely that we will see some pretty innovative medical inventions. Likewise, as mentioned by NKosmatos, we need to take the security aspect very seriously. Some of these NFC devices are programmable, and should defend against attacks that could lead to events such as withholding life-saving medicine or misreporting biometrics.<p>For reference, check out this paper I co-authored:<p>Suitability of NFC for Medical Device Communication and Power Delivery (2007)<p><a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4454171/" rel="nofollow">https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4454171/</a><p>And if you're interested in an early paper about RFID-delivered viruses, check out this by Tanenbaum et al.:<p><a href="http://www.rfidvirus.org/papers/percom.06.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.rfidvirus.org/papers/percom.06.pdf</a>
Radio waves are used to power cochlear implants. There is a chip & receiver unit that is inserted under the skin on the head, with electrodes that go into the cochlea. Externally there is an antenna that is held on the head next to the skin, using a magnet to hold it in place. Radio waves are sent across the skin to power the chip and control the electrodes.
Plenty of nefarious applications for this. The range alone blows away existing RFID designs, which will make it the preferred "chipping" technology for surveillance states everywhere.
>The implants are powered by radio frequency waves, which can safely pass through human tissues. In tests in animals<p>why animals? couldn't the researchers just swallow that "prototype about the size of a grain of rice" themselves and/or get several paid volunteers?
One of the first "promises" of nanotechnology I ever read about was that you could create batteries so small that just calling your cellphone would charge them I wonder if that is fundamentally the same idea.
Interesting and for sure there are numerous applications for such devices, but they didn’t mention anything about security and possible interferences. Sounds very promising but scary at the same time.
I want to power my earbuds without ever removing them. If they can do this I would be the first human tester.<p>I'd also love to start my car, without having to remember where i left my keys.
Can it power tumors?<p>More seriously, though, nanotech or relatively small implantables/injectables powered by radio or induction could do a lot for medicine... If anyone could afford it.