New Technique Turns Random Objects Into FM Radio Stations (thestack.com)

"A new technology is enabling everyday objects, such as posters and clothing, to be transformed into FM radio stations," reports The Stack, citing research from the University of Washington. An anonymous reader quotes their report. The team has introduced a technique called "backscattering" which uses ambient low-power radio signals to broadcast messages from random objects to smartphones in the local vicinity.The researchers hope that the development could help support various smart city applications, and picture a future where anything from a poster at a bus stop to a road sign can transmit audio updates and information to passers-by.

During testing, the researchers were able to use the backscattering technique to create a "singing poster" which could send out the music of an advertised band to smartphone users at a distance of up to 4 meters and to cars in an 18-meter [59-foot] radius. "What we want to do is enable smart cities and fabrics where everyday objects in outdoor environments -- whether it's posters or street signs or even the shirt you're wearing -- can 'talk' to you by sending information to your phone or car," explained lead faculty and UW assistant professor of computer science and engineering Shyam Gollakota.

Comments

Just what we need...

[Nutria]

even more pervasive advertising!!

Re:Just what we need...

[ColdWetDog]

Not all that long ago if you mentioned that someone's shirt was singing to you the assumption would be that you were off your antipsychotic meds.

In the near future, you will need antipsychotic medications to stay half way sane in what passes for the real world.

This is not progress. This is even more dystopian than 1984.

This is crazy.

No, thank you

[93 Escort Wagon]

While it's possible this technique might have less nefarious uses, the fact that all the cited potential uses involve advertising makes me wonder if this is a play by the researcher to get Google to poach him.

Re:this gives me existential dread

[fisted]

Are you somehow able to sense and decode FM radio signals using your brain? Because if not, I think there's an obvious solution...

Not random objects

[religionofpeas]

The "singing poster" only works because there's a large copper foil antenna stuck behind it. So, instead of saying that random objects can be turned into FM stations, it would be more accurate to say that you can use suitably big objects to hide a huge ass antenna.