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Transcript of r tacton final report
8/7/2019 r tacton final report
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
S. No. Title
2. Introduction
3. What is Red Tacton?
4. How Red Tacton works?
5. Mechanism of communication
with Red Tacton
6. About Human Area Networks
7. Three Features
a) Touch
b) Broadband and Interactive
c) Media
8. Comparison with other
network technologies
9. Comparison with other human
communication networks
10. Application Fields
11. Prototypes12. Bibliography
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INTRODUCTION
Human society is entering an era of ubiquitous computing, when networks are seamlesslyinterconnected and information is always accessible at our fingertips. The practical
implementation of ubiquitous services requires three levels of connectivity: Wide Area
Networks (WAN), typically via the Internet, to remotely connect all types of severs andterminals; Local Area Networks (LAN), typically via Ethernet or WiFi connectivity
among all the information and communication appliances in offices and homes; and
Human Area Networks (HAN) for connectivity to personal information, media andcommunication appliances within the much smaller sphere of ordinary daily activities the
last one meter. RedTacton is a new Human Area Networking technology that uses the
surface of the human body as a safe, high speed network transmission path!! RedTacton
involves initiating communication with a touch that could result in a wide range of actions in response. So, NTT combined touch and action to coin the term Tacton, and
then added the word Red — a warm color —to emphasize warm and cordial
communications, creating the name RedTacton.
WHAT IS RED TACTON?
RedTacton is a new Human Area Networking technology that uses the surface of the
human body as a safe, high speed network transmission path. RedTacton was developed
by a seven-person research team led by Yuichi Kado, executive manager of the SmartDevices Laboratory at NTT's Microsystems Integration Laboratories, in Atsugi, west of
Tokyo. It uses the minute electric fields emitted on the surface of the human body.
Technically, it is completely distinct from wireless and infrared. A transmission path is
formed at the moment a part of the human body comes in contact with a RedTactontransceiver. Physically separating ends the contact and thus ends communication
medium. A RedTacton transmitter couples with extremely weak electric fields on thesurface of the body. The weak electric fields pass through the body to a RedTactonreceiver, where the weak electric fields affect the optical properties of an electro-optic
crystal. Using a transmitter embedded in say, a PDA RedTacton sends a 5 volts pulse
along the surface of body. The human body shunts most of electricity to ground resultingin weak electric field that can be modulated to carry signals .As the receiver is located
either on another part of the body, the components of a hand free handset or in an
acquaintance PDA as it senses modulation in the electric field the receiver decodes themto recover the data. Exactly how the receiver senses these modulations in the electric field
generated by the transmitter is one of the major differences between PAN and
RedTacton. An electro-optical sensor embedded in the receiver and composed of an
electro-optical crystal, a laser diode, and photodetectors reads the body's electric fieldthrough an electrode, which then transmits that field to a bismuth silicon oxide optical
crystal. The electric field changes the refractive index of the crystal, which in turn
changes the polarization of the sensor's laser beam as it shines through the crystal.Photodetectors register polarization changes as changes in light intensity and convert
those changes into electrical signals, which are then processed by your cellphone or PDA.
The extent to which the optical properties are changed is detected by laser light which isthen converted to an electrical signal by a detector circuit. Using RedTacton,
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communication starts when terminals carried by the user or embedded in devices are
linked in various combinations according to the user's natural, physical movements.
Communication is possible using any body surfaces, such as the hands, fingers, arms,feet, face, legs or torso. RedTacton works through shoes and clothing as well.
Fig. 1: Red Tacton
Experiments with a prototype transceiver embedded in a PC Card attached to a PDA have
resulted in a two-way 10-Mb/s Ethernet-speed connection that can transmit data in bothdirections, but not at the same time. NTT is also trying to shrink the RedTacton
transceiver down to the size of a compact flash card or smaller so it can be slotted into
cellphones, PDAs, and digital cameras. In theory, this would let you upload a spreadsheetfrom the PDA in your pocket to a friend's smartphone by touching hands.
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HOW RED TACTON WORKS?
RedTacton uses weak electric fields on the surface of the body as a transmission
medium.
Fig. 2: Principle of Red Tacton
1. The RedTacton transmitter induces a weak electric field on the surface of the
body.2. The electric field sensor (transistor or photonic electric field sensor) detects
electric field that reaches the RedTacton receiver.3. Signals are processed in the receiver circuit and the data is downloaded.
MECHANISM OF COMMUNICATION WITH RED TACTON
The slim, PCMCIA-based RedTacton transceiver combines an optical receiver circuit
equipped with a super-sensitive photonic electrical field sensor and a crystal to transmitdata over the surface of human body at up to 10 megabits per second between wearable
devices The weak electric fields pass through the body to a RedTacton receiver, where
The weak electric field affects the optical properties of an electro-optic crystal.
The extent to which the optical properties are changed is detected by laser light which isthen converted to an electrical signal by a detector circuit. RedTacton transceiver
electrodes are covered with an insulating film, so there is no way that current from
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Fig. 3: Mechanism of Red Tacton
RedTacton can flow into the user’s body. Note however that, just like the weak
electromagnetic waves produced by most common electrical appliances, a faint
modulating displacement current does pass through the body when using RedTacton. Thelevel of displacement current involved is considered harmless and is in full compliance
with the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB) radio frequency-
exposure protection standards (RCR STD-38).Previous reports on this technology have described short communication distances of
several tens of centimeters and low maximum data speeds of 40 Kbit/s. The reason for
those restrictions is that electrical sensors are used in the receiving circuit. Electricalsensors basically involve two-wire communication with a signal line and a ground line,
so when there is only a signal line (i.e., the human body) the signal cannot be transmitted
properly. The NTT laboratories turned to the ground-independent, single-point-contactmeasurement capability of a photonic electric field sensor in the receiver. That is the
NTT human are network RED TACTON technology.
ABOUT HUMAN AREA NETWORKS
There are applications best served by Human Area Networks (HANs) that connect the
last meter. Human society is entering an era of ubiquitous computing, where everythingis networked .By making Human Area Networks feasible, RedTacton will enable
ubiquitous services based on human-centered interactions and therefore more intimate
and easier for people to use.
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Fig. 4: Different networks
THREE FEATURES
RedTacton has three main functional features.
1.) Touch-communication with just a touch or a step!
Touching, gripping, sitting, walking, stepping and other human movements can be the
triggers for unlocking or locking, starting or stopping equipment, or obtaining data.
Using RedTacton, communication starts when terminals carried by the user or embeddedin devices are linked in various combinations through physical contact according to the
human's natural movements.
2.) Broadband and Interactive: bandwidth does not deteriorate even with duplex
operation and simultaneous access by many users!!
Duplex, interactive communication is possible at a maximum speed of 10Mbps. Becausethe transmission path is on the surface of the body, transmission speed does not
deteriorate in congested areas where many people are communicating at the same time.
Maximum communication speed may be slower than 10Mbps depending on the usageenvironment.
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Fig. 5: wireless LAN Fig. 6: RedTacton
(Communication speed can deteriorate (Device drivers can be downloaded instantlyand In crowded spaces due to a lack of executable programs can be quickly sent.)
Bandwidth.)3.) Media: works with many transmission media common in human life
a.) Conductors-signals travel along the surface of the material
E.g. metal, water
b.) Dielectric-signals pass through materials
e.g., glass, walls, wood etc. c.) Conductor + Dielectric-combinations of traveling along and passing through
Materials
e.g., metal body and tires, surface of the body and shoes/clothing
COMPARISON WITH OTHER NETWORK TECHNOLOGIES
The chart below shows the positioning of RedTacton with respect to existing
communication technologies. The focus on ubiquitous service has brought about theshortening of distances in communication. RedTacton is positioned as the last 1m
solution to ultimate close-range communication. Wireless communication creates
connections when signals arrive, allowing for easy connections because connectors areunnecessary. However, seen from another aspect, the arriving signals can be intercepted,
so security becomes an issue. Wired communication transmits data between two
connection points, so interception is difficult and security can be considered to be high.However, connectors and cables are a nuisance. Taking the above points in account,
RedTacton is situated directly between wireless and wired communication. In other
words, RedTacton allows for easy connection without connectors, while at the same time
allowing transmission of data only between two contact points. It thus has the feature of being difficult to intercept.
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Fig. 7: distance vs. transfer rate graph for various networks
COMPARISON WITH OTHER HUMAN COMMUNICATION
NETWORKS
"Intra-body communication" using the human body as a transmission medium has beenreported, but the electric field/photonics method employed by RedTacton is superior to
conventional methods in terms of communication distance, speed, and interactivity.
P: Possible
N: Not possible
P*: Possible under certain conditions
Signal &
Detectionsystem
Groundline
Distance
&speed
Duplex communication
Contact status withthe electrode
Between
mobileterminals
Between
mobile
terminals andexternal
equipment
Amperageelectric
Clear
signallines
needed for
body andearth
ground
Elbow to
fingertipat approx.
3kbps
N P*
The electrode mustbe in constant
contact with the
body to maintaingood conductivity
Voltage
electric
Capacity
couplingbetween
Wrist to
fingertipat approx.
P* P Communication
possible even whenpassing through thin
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the earth
ground
andequipment
1kbps insulators
Electric fieldelectric
(RedTacton)
Capacity
couplingbetweenthe earth
ground
andequipment
Anywhereon the
body at
230kbps
P P
Communicationpossible even
through shoes and
clothing
Electric fieldphotonics
(RedTacton)
Capacity
coupling
betweenthe earth
ground
andequipment
Anywhereon the
body at up
to 10Mbps
P P
Communicationpossible even
through shoes and
clothing
Fig. 8: Comparison table between various HAN
RedTacton does not require the electrode be in direct contact with the skin. High-speed
communication is possible between two arbitrary points on the body.
Fig. 9: Different method of data transfer in HAN
With the electric amperage method, a clear signal line and ground line are required. With
the electric voltage method, capacity coupling can substitute. Therefore, the electrodedoes not have to be in direct contact with the skin.
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APPLICATIONS FIELDS
Six major application fields using RedTacton are introduced.
1.) One to one services
Enable one-to-one services tailored to the user's situation and tastes. Attributeinformation recorded in the RedTacton device is sent to the touched objects. The
appropriate service is provided based on the attribute information received by the
RedTacton receiver.
a.) Elimination of Human Error
An alarm sounds automatically to avoid accidental medicine ingestion
RedTacton devices embedded medicine bottles transmit information on the
medicines' attributes. If the user touches the wrong medicine, an alarm will trigger
on the terminal he is carrying. The alarm sounds only if the user actually touches
the medicine bottle, reducing false alarms common with passive wireless ID tags,
which can trigger simply by proximity.
Examples of similar applications
• Alert and contact record at medical, long-term care, and childcare
facilities.
• Avoidance of risk at construction sites (an alarm sounds if specialequipment is handled by anyone other than supervisors)
b.) Marketing Applications (context awareness)
Touch advertising and receive information
When a consumer stands in front of an advertising panel, advertising and
information matching his or her attributes is automatically displayed. By touchingor standing in front of items they are interested in, consumers can get more in-depth information.
Examples of similar applications
• Brochures only of products of interest to the visitor can be downloaded
automatically at trade shows.
• Inside a shop, shoppers can view related information on their mobileterminals immediately after touching a product.
2.) Intuitive operations
Natural movements and actions are the trigger. There's no "operation" any more. Justintuitive human interaction. RedTacton transceivers embedded in two terminals can
communicate not only data but also the control or configuration instructions needed to
operate devices. Cable connections are eliminated. The body itself is used as transmissionmedium.
a.) Intuitive operation
Touch a printer to print
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Print out where you want just by touching the desired printer with one hand and a
PC or digital camera with the other hand to make the link. Complicated
configurations are reduced by downloading device drivers "at first touch".
Examples of similar applications
•Display notebook PC screen on projectors with just a touch.
• Transfer songs to portable music players from notebook PCs with just a
touch.
b.) Instant private data exchange
Instantaneous private data exchange through handshake
By shaking hands, personal profile data can be exchanged between mobile
Terminals on the users. Communication can be kept private using authenticationAnd encryption technologies.
Examples of similar applications
• Group photos taken with digital cameras are instantly transferred toindividual's mobile terminal.
• Diagrams written on white boards during meetings are transferred toindividual's mobile terminals on the spot.
3.) Personalization
Digital lifestyle can be instantly personalized with just a touch. A pre-recorded
configuration script can be embedded in a mobile terminal with built-in RedTacton
transceiver. When another device with RedTacton capabilities is touched, personalization
data and configuration scripts can be downloaded automatically.
a.) Personalization of mobile phonesJust touching a phone makes it your own
Your own phone number is allocated and billing commences. Automatic importing
of personal address book and call history.
Examples of similar applications
• The PC is configured to the user's specifications simply by touching the
mouse.
• Room temperature and lighting are customized when a switch in the living
room is pressed.
b.) Personalization of automobilesJust sitting in the car triggers the car to load all its presets, just the way you
like.
The seat position and steering wheel height adjust to match the driver just by sittingin the car. The driver's home is set as the destination in the car navigation system.
The stereo plays the driver's favorite song.
Examples of similar applications
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• Touching the TV remote control triggers a filter/search routine according to
your personal programming preferences.
4.) New Behavior Patterns
Various conductors and dielectrics can be used as RedTacton communication media, and
this has the potential to create new behavior patterns.
a.) Conferencing System
Connect to a network just by putting a laptop on the table
An electrically conductive sheet is embedded in the table. A network connection
is initiated simply by placing a lap-top on the table. Using different sheet
patterns enables segmentation of the table into subnets
Examples of similar applications
• Walls and partitions can be used as communication media, eliminating
construction to install electrical wiring.
• Ad hoc networking using conductive liquid sprays is possible.
b.) Wearable
Wireless Headset
RedTacton can carry music or video between headsets, mobile devices,
mobilephones, etc. Users can listen to music from a RedTacton player simplyby putting on a headset or holding a viewer.
Examples of similar applications
• Connecting head mounted displays.
5.) Security Applications
Automatic user authentication and log-in with just a touch. ID and privileges are recorded
in a mobile RedTacton device. Corresponding RedTacton receivers are installed at
security check points. The system can provide authentication and record who touched thedevice, and when.
a.) User verification and lock management at the entrance
User verification and unlocking with just a touch
Carrying a mobile RedTacton-capable device in one's pocket, ID is verified and the
door unlocked when the user holds the doorknob normally. Secure lock
administration is possible by combining personal verification tools such asfingerprint ID or other biometric in the mobile terminal.
Examples of similar applications
• Automated car door lock/unlock just by touching the handle; unlocking
a bicycle just by sitting on it.
• As a pass in amusement facilities
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b.) Confidential document management
Automatic access log for confidential document storage
A RedTacton receiver in a cabinet where important documents are storedenables lock administration and keeps a record of who accessed documents at
what time.
Examples of similar applications
• Seat reservation management by verifying that the right person is in the
right seat.
• Log and verification of the person who touched the terminal.
6.) Communication in new domains
• Potential for use as communication method in outer space and under water
• Potential for use as communication method with devices inside the human body
PROTOTYPES
Security Devices (Development Completed)
Portable Card-Size Transmitter
• Transmission rate: 230Kbps
• Protocol: Proprietary protocol
• Transmission method: Unidirectional
Embedded Receiver
• Transmission rate: 230Kbps
• Protocol: Proprietary protocol
• Transmission method: Unidirectional
• External device interface:
10/100BASE-T, RS232C
Data Transmission Devices (in Development).
PC Card Transceiver
• Transmission rate: 10Mbp
• Protocol: TCP/IP
• Transmission method: Half-duplex
• Terminal interface: PCMCI
Embedded Receiver
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• Transmission rate: 10Mbp
• Protocol: TCP/IP
• Transmission method: Half-duplex
• External device interface: 10BASE-T
USB Transceiver
• Transmission rate not yet determined(in testing stage)