Optical Solution Revives Hands Free Mobile Telephones

Hands free sets for mobile phones may be on the verge of a big comeback thanks to new research by the University of Warwick. Many people used hands free sets in an attempt to avoid what they perceived as a microwave radiation risk from holding a mobile phone close to one`s head.

However when it was pointed out that the standard wire based hands free kit actually itself acted as an aerial amplifying any signal to the users head the kit fell out of favour with this type of user.

Now researchers led by Professor Roger Green at the University of Warwick have found and patented a way of producing optical signal based hands free devices for mobile phones that do indeed shield users who fear the microwave radiation from mobile phones.

The researchers have developed a simple means of converting electrical signals from the mobile phone into an optical signal that is guided up through a plastic tube to an ear-piece where the signal is converted back into an audible form. This plastic tube cannot act as a radio antenna so no radio energy is channelled to the users head.

The technology also uses a crystal based ear-piece speaker instead of an electromagnetic coil to further minimise the action of stray electric fields.

Roger Green, Professor of Electronic Communication Systems,
School of Engineering, University of Warwick,
Coventry CV4 7AL.Tel : +44 (0)24 76 523133
Mobile +44 (0)7855 901515
Roger.Green@warwick.ac.uk