Researchers at Korea University in Seoul have demonstrated a prototype of a new biomonitoring system that transmits data through the body, replacing wires and minimizing the need for batteries.

In a test, they transmitted data at a rate of 10 megabits per second through a person’s arm, using a metal electrode coated with a flexible silicon-rich polymer.

The Korean team is working with a large electronics manufacturer to develop health-monitoring networks using the new electrodes. Future versions could be embedded beneath the skin for long-term monitoring applications, such as electrocardiography (ECG) or electroencephalography (EEG).