Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Wireless system can power devices inside the body

news.mit.edu

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 42 posts

Re: Wireless system can power devices inside the body

#11

Post by sametmax »

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #4
excalibur wrote: post #3

Plenty of nefarious applications for this. The range alone blows away existing RFID designs, which will make it the preferred "chipping" technology for surveillance states everywhere.

There are positive uses. I can see this being useful for monitoring health in animals raised for food in addition to the medical applications the article mentioned. That said, the potential for abuse is limited by what society will tolerate. We tolerate tracking and alcohol monitoring bracelets for people who drive drunk. If we tolerate tracking implants for sex offenders on parole or something I'm sure it'll filter…

We tolerate tracking devices with camera, microphones and banking history in our pocket. We even pay for it. So i wouldn't count of the public wisdom on this. Or anything really.

Re: Wireless system can power devices inside the body

#13

Post by delecti »

booleandilemma wrote: post #10
Pfhreak wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm waiting for someone to invent the implantable chip that converts blood sugar into heat/light purely with the intention of wasting that energy. Grab enough power to monitor blood sugar, to make sure you aren't putting someone into a coma, but otherwise just try to burn an extra few hundred calories a day.

Why waste this energy? Couldn’t they devise a way to mine bitcoin with it? :)

Oh god, just what the world's food distribution problems need.

Re: Wireless system can power devices inside the body

#15

Post by pazimzadeh »

booleandilemma wrote: post #10
Pfhreak wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm waiting for someone to invent the implantable chip that converts blood sugar into heat/light purely with the intention of wasting that energy. Grab enough power to monitor blood sugar, to make sure you aren't putting someone into a coma, but otherwise just try to burn an extra few hundred calories a day.

Why waste this energy? Couldn’t they devise a way to mine bitcoin with it? :)

Good idea, but I’m guessing you’d have fever as a side effect ;)

Re: Wireless system can power devices inside the body

#16

Post by eeZah7Ux »

Pfhreak wrote: post #7
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #2

How much energy could a device extract from blood sugar?

I'm waiting for someone to invent the implantable chip that converts blood sugar into heat/light purely with the intention of wasting that energy. Grab enough power to monitor blood sugar, to make sure you aren't putting someone into a coma, but otherwise just try to burn an extra few hundred calories a day.

Then you need to radiate heat somewhere. If you heat up the blood the body will spend less energy keeping warm leading to no benefit.

If you generate a lot of heat... it goes really bad.

Re: Wireless system can power devices inside the body

#17

Post by trhway »

>The implants are powered by radio frequency waves, which can safely pass through human tissues. In tests in animals

why animals? couldn't the researchers just swallow that "prototype about the size of a grain of rice" themselves and/or get several paid volunteers?

Re: Wireless system can power devices inside the body

#18

Post by CamelCaseName »

trhway wrote: post #17

>The implants are powered by radio frequency waves, which can safely pass through human tissues. In tests in animals why animals? couldn't the researchers just swallow that "prototype about the size of a grain of rice" themselves and/or get several paid volunteers?

Animals are the first step because testing in humans is more expensive. These devices will likely have to be tested in humans before commercialization.

Re: Wireless system can power devices inside the body

#19

Post by jgroszko »

excalibur wrote: post #3

Plenty of nefarious applications for this. The range alone blows away existing RFID designs, which will make it the preferred "chipping" technology for surveillance states everywhere.

Or fast food restaurants embedding tracking devices in their food... That'll be fun having to review privacy policies at every restaurant you eat at.

Re: Wireless system can power devices inside the body

#20

Post by fao_ »

trhway wrote: post #17

>The implants are powered by radio frequency waves, which can safely pass through human tissues. In tests in animals why animals? couldn't the researchers just swallow that "prototype about the size of a grain of rice" themselves and/or get several paid volunteers?

> why animals? couldn't the researchers just swallow that "prototype about the size of a grain of rice" themselves and/or get several paid volunteers?

Insurance. I assume it's easier to get insurance for human testing if you've shown safety in animals first.

Post reply on HN