Researchers in Singapore have created a device capable of manipulating radio frequency signals that could lead to the development of smaller short-distance communication systems. Known as a subharmonic passive mixer, the device, built by Rui Li and her colleagues at the A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics, can convert millimeter waves from one wavelength to another. … [Read more...]

A team of scientists from the University of Texas at El Paso have developed a way to control electromagnetic waves in three-dimensional space using plastic metamaterials created with a 3-D printer. “When you fold electromagnetics into three dimensions, the components interfere with one another, and it becomes a confusing electromagnetic mess where nothing will work—like when a … [Read more...]

A new system provides wireless power to electronic and electrical devices using a series of antennas embedded underneath a surface, removing the need for electric cables. The Smart University Power Antenna (SUPA) Wireless technology uses a principle similar to that of induction cookers, according to researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems (ENAS) … [Read more...]

Engineers at the University of Washington have created a new communication system that takes advantage of wireless signals to power electronic devices without relying on batteries or wires. Known as ambient backscatter, the technique enables battery-less devices to exchange information with each other by repurposing existing Wi-Fi, mobile and television signals to act as both … [Read more...]