SBIR Phase II: Ultra-Low-Power Physically-Secure Video transfer with Electro-Quasistatic Human Body Communication Enabling Distributed Computation for Lightweight Augmented Reality

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project seeks to improve the rapid adoption of Internet-connected smart devices. The key drivers of the growth of this broader Internet of Things (IoT) in, on and around the human body is referred to as Internet of Bodies (IoB). IoB is a huge $750 billion market with devices ranging from medical devices like pacemakers, insulin pumps, and body temperature sensors, to consumer technologies such as augmented or virtual reality (AR/VR) devices. This project seeks to develop the world’s first high-bandwidth data network through the human body and usher in a fundamentally new way of thinking about using the human body as a wire to connect intelligent nodes in human-intranet. With silicon chips, hardware, and concrete mathematical models, this research will open new directions in wearables, human augmentation, in-sensor analytics, and physiological monitoring. These applications can open new market opportunities in the fields of biomedical and consumer electronics that can lead to multi billion-dollar value. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project seeks to develop an augmented reality (AR) headset utilizing high speed (up to 20 megabits per second (Mbps)) and low power (<1 milliwatt (mW) communication capabilities, where the computation is distributed without a physical wire. Compressed video streaming (from an augmented-reality headset to phone) calls for up to 20 Mbps data rate which cannot be supported by the Bluetooth (5-15 nanojoules/band and up to 2 Mbps in upcoming products) due to data-rate limitations. In addition, using Wi-Fi for all-day operation is prohibitively high power (a lightweight headset battery runs out in less than an hour streaming continuous video). Hence, there is a need for a communication link around the human body that can support up to 20 Mbps at <50 picojoules(pJ)/band (i.e., power <1 mW). If successful, this SBIR project will result in an all-day, wire-free, first person-view, AR headset with 20 Mbps at <50 pJ/b communication. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.