NASA's Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Mission: The Ultimate Space Wi-Fi

Nasa develops laser space communications | Emerging Tech | ZDNet UK
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/emerging-tech/2011/08/24/nasa-develops-laser-space-communications-40093763

• The Laser Communications Relay technology, which Nasa aims to fly on a test mission within four years, will be used in near-earth and deep-space human and robotic missions, Nasa said in a statement on Monday.

NASA to Test Ultimate Space Wifi : Discovery News
http://news.discovery.com/space/web-streaming-from-mars-110824.html

• THE GIST
  

  • Laser communications could boost space data transmission rates from the speeds of dial-up to broadband.
  • The demonstration will pave the way for a communications system to be included on a future satellite.
  • NASA plans to test a full-size solar sail for chemical-free propulsion and a deep space atomic clock.

NASA - Communications, Navigation And In-Space Propulsion Technologies Selected For NASA Flight Demonstration
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/aug/HQ_11-272_TDM_Selections.html

• NASA has selected three proposals as Technology Demonstration Missions to transform space communications, deep space navigation and in-space propulsion capabilities. The projects will develop and fly a space solar sail, deep space atomic clock, and space-based optical communications system.
• The Laser Communications Relay demonstration mission will fly and validate a reliable, capable, and cost-effective optical communications technology. Optical communications technology provides data rates up to 100-times higher than today’s systems, which will be needed for future human and robotic space missions. The technology is directly applicable to the next generation of NASA's space communications network. After the demonstration, the developed space and ground assets will be qualified for use by near-Earth and deep space missions requiring high bandwidth and a small ground station reception area.

NASA - NASA Announces Technology Demonstration Missions
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/crosscutting_capability/tech_demo_missions.html

• The LCRD mission will: 
  • Enable reliable, capable, and cost effective optical communications technologies for near earth applications and provide the next steps required toward optical communications for deep space missions
  • Demonstrate high data rate optical communications technology necessary for: 
    • Near-Earth spacecraft (bi-directional links supporting hundreds of Mbps to Gbps)
    • Deep Space missions (tens to hundreds of Mbps from distances such as Mars and Jupiter)
    • Develop, validate and characterize operational models for practical optical communications  
    • Identify and develop requirements and standards for future operational optical communication systems 
    • Establish a strong partnership with multiple government agencies to facilitate crosscutting infusion of optical communications technologies 
    • Develop the industrial base and transfer technology for future space optical communications systems

Related

• NASA's Laser Communications System Will Enable High-Speed Transmissions From Mars | Popular Science
• NASA to Test Laser Communications System in Space | Wired Science | Wired.com
• NASA is using lasers to broadcast from space in HD
• NASA Developing Laser System That Could Increase Space Speed Communication By A Factor Of 100 | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

Researchers See Through Walls With Wi-Fi Network

Clipped from: Wireless Network Signals Produce See-Through Walls | Threat Level | Wired.com

Wireless Network Signals Produce See-Through Walls

Researchers at the University of Utah have found a way to see through walls to detect movement inside a building.

The surveillance technique is called variance-based radio tomographic imaging and works by visualizing variations in radio waves as they travel to nodes in a wireless network. A person moving inside a building will cause the waves to vary in that location, the researchers found, allowing an observer to map their position.

Clipped from: Technology Review: Blogs: arXiv blog: Wireless Network Modded to See Through Walls

Wireless Network Modded to See Through Walls

The way signal strength varies in a wireless network can reveal what's going on behind closed doors.

The basic idea is straightforward. The signal strength at any point in a network is the sum of all the paths the radio waves can take to get to the receiver. Any change in the volume of space through which the signals pass, for example caused by the movement of a person, makes the signal strength vary. So by "interrogating" this volume of space with many signals, picked up by multiple receivers, it is possible to build up a picture of the movement within it.

Clipped from: Radio Tomographic Imaging | SPAN

Sensing and Processing Across Networks at Utah

Radio Tomographic Imaging

Radio Tomographic Imaging (RTI) is an emerging technology that locates moving objects in areas surrounded by simple and inexpensive radios. RTI is useful in emergencies, rescue operations, and security breaches, since the objects being tracked need not carry an electronic device. Tracking humans moving through a building, for example, could help firefighters save lives by locating victims quickly.
[....]
The following video is an RTI experiment conducted by Joey Wilson and Neal Patwari at the Warnock Engineering Building at the University of Utah. The attenuation image is shown above the actual footage, with the red spots indicating heaviest attenuation.

Clipped from: Radio Waves 'See' through Walls - University of Utah News Release: October 11th, 2009

On the left, a person walks around inside a square of 28 radio transceivers (mounted on plastic pipes) in the Warnock Engineering Building's atrium at the University of Utah. The person creates "shadows" in the radio waves, resulting in the image displayed on right, in which the person appears as a reddish-orange-yellow blob. University of Utah engineers also showed this method can "see" through walls to make blurry images of people moving behind the walls. They hope the technique will help police, firefighters and other emergency responders apprehend burglars and rescue hostages, fire victims and others.

University of Utah electrical engineer Neal Patwari walks around inside a square grid of radio transceivers (mounted on plastic pipes) during a test of a radio tomographic imaging (RTI) system that uses radio waves to "see," locate and track a moving person -- even a person moving behind a solid wall.

Sources:

1. Wireless Network Signals Produce See-Through Walls | Threat Level | Wired.com
2. Technology Review: Blogs: arXiv blog: Wireless Network Modded to See Through Walls
3. Radio Tomographic Imaging | SPAN
4. Radio Waves 'See' through Walls - University of Utah News Release: October 11th, 2009

Related:

1. Wi-Fi signals used to see through walls - Telegraph
2. Researchers see through walls with wireless mesh - Ars Technica
3. Attn Nerdy Pervs: See Through Walls Using a Wireless Network - Wireless - Gizmodo
4. Radio waves 'see' through walls | Science Codex
5. [0909.5417] Through-Wall Tracking Using Variance-Based Radio Tomography Networks
6. arXiv.org e-Print archive
7. SPAN | Sensing and Processing Across Networks at Utah

Meraki -- City-Wide, Free Wireless Network in San Francisco

clipped from technologyexpert.blogspot.com San Francisco to Get a Second Chance at Citywide Wi-Fi Meraki, a start-up with funding by Google (ironic, since Google was working with Earthlink on the original project), issued a press release on Friday announcing that it will deploy a next-generation, city-wide wireless access network in San Francisco providing free, broadband Internet access for every neighborhood by the end of 2008. clipped from www.prnewswire.com Meraki to Deploy Next-Generation City-Wide, Free Wireless Network in San Francisco Technology Breakthroughs and Unique Architecture Enable Start Up to Alter Economics of Internet Access Worldwide Company Secures Series B Funding of $20 million clipped from www.techcrunch.com

Related:
Tech-Ex: San Francisco to Get a Second Chance at Citywide Wi-Fi
Meraki to Deploy Next-Generation City-Wide, Free Wireless Network in San Francisco
Google Confirms Free San Francisco WiFi Plans - GigaOM
Meraki Networks Raises $20 Million, Expands Free WiFi in San Francisco, Where Google Failed

Apple Files Patent for Wireless Ordering Technology

clipped from www.forbes.com Apple's Piping Hot Innovation Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs wants to patent a process that will save customers the hassle of waiting to order a cup of coffee at a local Starbucks or a fresh burger at the nearest fast food restaurant. Even better: The technology would let you jump the line of those ordering in person. In an application with the U.S. Patent Office published on Dec. 20, the Cupertino, Calif.-based computer and gadget company described a wireless system that would allow customers to place an order at a store using a wireless device such as a media player, a wireless personal digital assistant or a cellphone. clipped from www.cbc.ca Apple and Starbucks in September announced a deal that allows free Wi-Fi access to iTunes for iPhone and iPod owners in cafes. (Associated Press)

Releated:
Apple's Piping Hot Innovation - Forbes.com
Apple eyes easing retail sales with Wi-Fi system
O'Grady's PowerPage - Your Mobile Technology Destination
United States Patent and Trademark Office Home Page