Northeastern researchers send electrical signals through muscle tissue to securely transmit data

Researchers Stella Banou, Kaushik R. Chowdhury, and William J. Tomlinson created a model of a human arm, wrist, and hand made of synthetic bone, muscle, and skin to test their technique for sending data through the body. Their method, which treats the body like a wire, is a secure way to send sensitive personal information. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

Wireless devices aren’t perfect. They can’t always connect to servers, and they’re easy targets for hackers. If only there were a stronger, more reliable way to send private information. Well, the solution isn’t just at your fingertips—it’s in them.

In this episode, we talk to Kaushik Chowdhury (associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and faculty fellow of the College of Engineering) and Stella Banou (doctoral candidate in electrical and computer engineering).