Sony set to rock your body with wireless headphones

We've seen headphones (even toothbrushes) that use the human body (bones, specifically) to bypass your ears and send tunes straight into your noggin', but Sony looks to be reversing the processes, using the body to wirelessly transmit sound from an audio source to a pair of regular headphones. According to a recent patent application, the sure-to-be-renamed "human body communication system and communication device" uses an electric field to send audio signals, presumably harmlessly, through your body and up to the headphones, which untangle the signal to produce sound. It doesn't look to be an ideal solution though -- at least at the moment -- with bandwidth limitations apparently preventing anything higher than 48 kbps ATRAC3-plus audio signals from being transmitted. There's also, of course, no indication of when we'll actually see this in the wild, so the detailed artist's rendering above will have to do for now.

[Via Unwired View, thanks Staska]

[Josh Warner @ Nov 10th 2006 1:34AM]

I've actually heard about this before - it's possible because the skin does have a (LOW) amount of conductivity - but there are some serious problems. A device that could send an electric field near the heart, even if misused, must be tested like crazy. I wouldn't be surprised if the FDA wanted to get involved too. But, all that aside, there are still some practical issues.

It really is using the skin and/or the body as the path. Assume they get it to work and it even gets into stores. Now to use this thing you have to have a good conductive connection between both devices and your skin. No rubber or soft cloth - that's going to have to be bare metal (or something close to). Also, this connection would have to be maintained for a long, persistent basis because if either end breaks the connection, the music is gone.

That pretty much means no jogging with this stuff, unless you want to REALLY strap it to your side so the movement won't jar it. Problem is, I can't think of any other potential applications for this... and isn't it Sony who is pushing Bluetooth hard with the PS3?

I don't see a use for this at all. Only a really stupid company would try to bring a limited technology like this to market, but then again Sony's track record lately squares with that trend. I sure won't be touching these.

[ahmed yeahia @ Nov 10th 2006 2:38AM]

i some times wonder with all this shit going wireless ... dont any of it have any effect on our body .. mind just wondaring ...

[pipper @ Nov 10th 2006 2:40AM]

This is kinda like my high school project 12 years ago.

I kinda discovered as a kid, if you have a tape deck and amp connected by RCA cable, and if you strip and cut one of the 2 wires of the RCA cable, and by holding both end of the cut wire, you can actually conduct music signal.

The audio signal works over the high resistivity of human body, is because if the high V and I ratio keep the power loss to minimal.

The fun part is, you can create human bridge and still work somewhat. Say if you have 2 people, the MORE contact between the 2, the louder the music. heeheeeheee would be a fun game for lovers...

I guess the technology in the article is more about digital signal...

Also, last time I read, Philips has the patent in using human body to transfer data, wonder how Sony has gotten this patent, as music is some kind of data too.

[shelby @ Nov 10th 2006 10:12AM]

that sounds like a really cool project!

[Nick @ Nov 10th 2006 3:20AM]

i'm thinking this might be aimed more at (covert) military operations than consumer audio applications.

[Matt @ Nov 10th 2006 3:25AM]

By the looks of the detailed artists rendering the 'phones will be inside the "wearers" head!

[Abe @ Nov 10th 2006 4:32AM]

It just seems pointless that Sony of all companies would try and push this. After all if two pieces are required; both a receiver and a transmitter - then why not just have it be bluetooth, or a wireless connection rather than a 'conductor' which could pose health risks.
I guess one just has be careful that thing doesnt send tunes through the pacemaker by 'accident'. Celine does not need another knock on her record by having her music kill someone.

[John @ Nov 10th 2006 4:53AM]

What a load of old tosh!

[andy @ Nov 10th 2006 6:33AM]

so if sony make this, will it make me spontaniously combust? lol sorry, someone had to say it!

[Zadillo @ Nov 10th 2006 8:12AM]

I for one can't wait to use these with my audio reproducing device.

[david @ Nov 10th 2006 9:47AM]

sounds like cancer waiting to happen

[Arno @ Nov 10th 2006 10:35AM]

I'm pretty sure Microsoft patented this already to not only transmit sound to headphones but to let your phone work with the same earplugs and have all the devices charge from a battery thats in your shoe.

[Gman @ Nov 10th 2006 11:52AM]

Yet another thing with too little bandwidth, my own body!

[lightbulb @ Nov 10th 2006 2:52PM]

holy moly:
http://techstatic.wordpress.com/2006/06/23/body-wires/

[JS @ Nov 10th 2006 3:04PM]

So is this going to create a race of music humming zombies that Sony can control from their evil headquarters. Hmmmmmm Sony music Zombies versus other coporate armies would be fun to watch, though, as I still swear there is a clone army underneath the SAS campus...that place is HUGE!

[Dana @ Nov 11th 2006 3:20AM]

These types of technologies have broad implications. They have the potential to profoundly change the way we interact in the near future.

One example (NNT, Japan):
http://www.redtacton.com/

[Crum @ Nov 12th 2006 4:34AM]

It could be that this tech from Sony uses less.. MUCH LESS power cosumtion then bluetooth.

its interesting technology.

[Lance @ Nov 12th 2006 3:30PM]

Sony copyright issues redtacton has been doing this for a long time
http://redtacton.com/en/index.html

[Mista E @ Nov 15th 2006 1:43AM]

This is a pretty brilliant product. IBM had a product back in the 80's that would transmit business card contact info via a handshake, but it never caught on.
While the audio quality would be horrible for clean music reproduction, I can see it being a really great wireless voice headset for the PS3. Due to its transmission via skin voltages, the power requirements would be next to nothing. Their headset can probably run off a very small rechargeable battery that would only occassionally need to be charged. This could be one of the coolest add-ons ever for the PS3.