Inter-Technology Backscatter: Towards Internet Connectivity for Implanted Devices

Abstract

We introduce inter-technology backscatter, a novel approach that transforms wireless transmissions from one technology to another, on the air. We show for the first time that Bluetooth transmissions can be used to create Wi-Fi and ZigBee-compatible signals using backscatter communication. Since Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and ZigBee radios are widely available, this enables a backscatter design that works using only commodity devices. We build an FPGA prototype that creates 2–11 Mbps Wi-Fi or Zigbee packets by backscattering Bluetooth transmissions. We use this to demonstrate previously infeasible applications including the first contact lens form-factor antenna prototype and implantable neural recording interface that communicate directly to commodity devices, such as smartphones, thus enabling the vision of Internet-connected implanted devices