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Turning Your Home Wiring Into a Giant Antenna

Posted by timothy on from the that'll-really-shake-up-the-powerline-cancer-folks dept.

An anonymous reader writes with this IBT snippet: "Imagine if you could run a wireless sensor device for years without ever having to replace the battery. Turns out, the idea of a battery-less wireless device might not be too far off. Researchers at the University of Washington and the Georgia Institute of Technology developed a small node sized device that uses the residential wiring from a building or home and transmits information to and from almost anywhere else from within. The device is called Sensor Nodes Utilizing Powerline Infrastructure, or SNUPI. It uses basic copper wiring as a giant antenna to receive wireless signals at a set frequency. When the device is within 10 to 15 feet of electrical wiring, it uses the antenna to send data to a single base station." (For "node-sized," think "size of a breakfast cereal prize.")

11 of 135 comments (clear)

  1. Bet the HAM guys are gonna love this by Nursie · · Score: 3, Interesting

    They already get upset enough about HomePlug style ethernet-over-power devices.

    1. Re:Bet the HAM guys are gonna love this by mike449 · · Score: 4, Informative

      This new "node-sized" device consumes 1mW when transmitting and the home wiring is used as a receiving antenna. If HomePlug radiated this much, ham guys would be really happy.

  2. Re:Easier ways by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Attack", "rail". Expect a visit from a not-so-friendly representative of Homeland Security.

    Your Best Friend and Big Brother,
    The US Government

  3. New sealing method by scheme · · Score: 3, Funny

    Patel said. "Most systems are designed thinking the battery will last less than a year. Now the device sold can have the battery integrated and frenetically sealed. "

    I'd like to see one of those frenetically sealed batteries. Or maybe just see a video of the battery being sealed.

    --
    "When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes. When you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it
  4. Oh the Hams are going to love this....NOT! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    These powerline 'type' technologies are like just bad bad news for Hams and shortwave enthusiasts as it wipes out the bands, unless notch filters are employed, which I doubt it.

  5. Re:Interesting by by+(1706743) · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Radio waves are already being generated by the wiring, albeit at much lower frequencies (e.g., 60Hz).

    You insensitive clod!

  6. Re:Breakfast what? by ScrewMaster · · Score: 3, Funny

    Im sorry, what is a breakfast cereal prize?

    It's something that you plug into your UCB port.

    --
    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  7. Units by Locke2005 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    For "node-sized," think "size of a breakfast cereal prize."?

    For those of us that haven't eaten cereal that comes with prizes for at least 40 years now, can you express that in more traditional units, e.g. volkswagens, libraries of congress, or common US coins? Alternatively, you you just give the fucking dimensions.

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    1. Re:Units by dtmos · · Score: 5, Informative

      It's 3.8 cm by 3.8 cm by 1.4 cm (second page, first column, second paragraph).

  8. Re:Funny name by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually that record is still being held by Arnold Rimmer in Red Dwarf, when he suggested to form the Comitee for Liberation and Integration of Terrorizing Organisms and their Reintegration Into Society.

  9. Re:Easier ways by Stargoat · · Score: 3, Funny

    Damnit. Gitmo again?

    --
    Hoist Number One and Number Six.