Hand Contact Audio Reception Based on Intra-body Communication

Intra-body Communication (IBC) is one major application of Body Area Network which uses the human body as a signal transmission channel to transmit data. Our general aim is to transmit specific signal through the surface of human body using electric field coupling technique which has the benefits of low power and non-radiating for the sake of privacy. We are investigating one specific application where audio signal is relayed to an earphone via hand contact. One usage scenario is an audio guide for a museum. By wearing a light weight earphone, visitors can listen to specific audio comments on a display by touching the corresponding marker (audio source). The markers can even be placed on the displays themselves to allow better interaction between viewers and viewed objects not mentioning the obvious benefit to people with sight difficulty.