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Classified in: Science and technology
Subject: PDT

St. Pölten UAS Develops New Method for Near-Field Ultrasound Communication


ST. PÖLTEN, Austria, Nov. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The networking of devices in everyday life and in companies is increasing steadily. So far, ultrasound communication has received little attention, although it is a promising technology for ad-hoc data exchange and near-field communication and presents a channel for the secure authentication of devices and persons.

 

Fachhochschule St Poelten Logo

 

"Individual companies have already developed approaches to ultrasound communication but the technologies are subject to the copyright of these businesses and some of them raise questions concerning the protection of the users' privacy. This is why an open protocol was urgently needed in order to guarantee secure communication and protect privacy", explains Matthias Zeppelzauer, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Creative\Media/Technologies at the St. Pölten UAS.

Freely Available Technology and Improved Data Protection

Together with his colleagues Alexis Ringot and Florian Taurer, Zeppelzauer developed such an open and transparent communication protocol for data transmission using ultrasound (Data Over Sound). SoniTalk is freely available as an open-source technology. The development kit of the same name underlying the software was implemented using Java for Android and makes it possible to send and receive any data in the ultrasound frequency range. SoniTalk thus represents an inexpensive alternative to Bluetooth and other radio-based communication technologies such as RFID (radio-frequency identification) and NFC (near-field communication).

"We developed SoniTalk in accordance with the 'privacy-by-design' principle. This means that mechanisms for privacy protection were taken into account early on in the design of the system. Users of SoniTalk retain complete control over which app is allowed to send which content, which helps them protect their own privacy", describes Zeppelzauer.

Precursor Project Ultrasound Firewall and Legal Considerations

Through the so-called audiotracking, mobile phones and tablets can use ultrasound to track the users' behaviour unnoticed ? such as which videos they watch or their whereabouts. Last year in the spring, Zeppelzauer and his colleagues published their app SoniControl which can block acoustic tracking. They are currently further developing the app in order to make it even more attractive to users. It is supposed to be integrated into the SoniTalk protocol in the future to guarantee secure data transmission there.

Following the publication of SoniControl, two legal experts from Vienna specialising in data protection and IT carried out a legal assessment for this form of tracking and called for more transparency in dealing with the new technology. According to them, the explicit consent of the users to data transmission via ultrasound is an essential element ? SoniTalk and its underlying technological protocol now solve this issue.

Companies Wanted: Benefit for Industry, Art and Everyday Life

SoniTalk enables new functions and services for the digitalisation: for example, SoniTalk could be used to authenticate and verify data and persons, to track objects in production (asset tracking), the set up local networks (ad-hoc networks), for mobile payment and money transfer, the pairing of devices, and the control of smart homes.

In the near future, SoniTalk is supposed to be practice-tested in its first Industry 4.0 applications. For this purpose, Matthias Zeppelzauer and his colleagues are currently developing a suitable ultrasound beacon (a type of loudspeaker) for location-dependent services on the basis of SoniTalk. This beacon is then supposed to be made available as free and open-format hardware.

According to Zeppelzauer, the target group includes companies and persons in the IT sector and Industry 4.0, providers of indoor navigation systems and cashless/contactless payment systems, artists and museums wishing to design interactive exhibitions, and the open-source community.

As the new technology is available as an open-source system, interested parties, developers and companies can adapt and improve it as needed. The researchers of the St. Pölten UAS are also planning to further develop the technology behind SoniTalk and are currently searching for companies looking to gain an advantage through the new technology.

Further Article on Ultrasound Communication

An article by Matthias Zeppelzauer on the risks and opportunities of ultrasound communication titled "Data Over Sound" was published in edition 2019#4 of <kes>, the magazine for information security.
https://www.kes.info/archiv/heft-archiv/jahrgang-2019/ausgabe-20194/

SoniTalk project

The SoniTalk project was subsidised by the funding initiative netidee.
https://sonitalk.fhstp.ac.at/
https://www.netidee.at/sonitalk

Project video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIdWeoSQ3mM#action=share

Photos:

Screenshots from the app, credit: St. Pölten UAS

About the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences

The St. Pölten UAS is a provider of performance-oriented university education with a strong practical relevance in the six areas of Media & Economics, Media & Digital Technologies, Computer Science & Security, Rail Technology & Mobility, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences. Today the university has approximately 3,200 students in 25 study programmes. In addition to education, the St. Pölten UAS engages in intensive research. It carries out scientific work in the aforementioned areas by adopting a cross-institutional and interdisciplinary approach. The study programmes maintain a constant dialogue with the institutes which continuously develop and implement application-oriented research projects with a strong practical focus.

Press releases and photos are available for download at https://www.fhstp.ac.at/de/presse.

General press photos are available for download at https://www.fhstp.ac.at/de/presse/pressefotos-logos.

Of course, you can also find us on Facebook and Twitter:

https://www.facebook.com/fhstp, https://twitter.com/FH_StPoelten.

The St. Pölten UAS expressly states that it holds all rights of use pertaining to the attached photographs. The recipient of this message is authorised to use the attached photos only in connection with the press release and with reference to the St. Pölten UAS and the copyright holder. Any other use of the attached photographs requires the express written approval of the St. Pölten UAS (E-mail is sufficient).

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Contact for further information and queries:

Mag. Mark Hammer
Section Head Press
Marketing and Communications
T: +43/2742/313 228 269
M: +43/676/847 228 269
E: [email protected]
I: https://www.fhstp.ac.at/de/presse

SOURCE St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences


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