NTT's RedTacton enables "human area networks"

While the idea of a "human area network" that works by using weak electrical fields on the surface of the body does creep us out a little, NTT's RedTacton system based on the concept does have a certain appeal. Imagine beaming data from your PDA to that of a business contact just by shaking hands — the data passes from your PDA to your "HAN" and then travels the same route to your counterpart. Imagine a wireless headset that carries music from your audio player to your ears via your skin. Imagine security systems that can track you every time you touch a conductive surface. Okay, NTT's utopian vision for this tech doesn't include that last example. But it does include ID-verification techniques, such as a smart door that can unlock by reading signals from a digital ID card as they're transmitted over your skin. We'll give Redacton the benefit of the doubt for now, but let's just say that some of its potential uses just, well, make our skin crawl.

[Via Akihabara News]