Indians Develop Low-cost, Secure NFC Alternative


Bangalore: A team from Microsoft research India has developed a secure NFC alternative called as “Dwani” which means “sound.” The new technology is to revolutionize the way we use to make device to device transfers, reports CrazyEngineers.

NFC is a short-range high frequency wireless communication technology that enables the exchange of data between devices located within 10 cm distance.NFC devices can be used in contactless payment systems, similar to those currently used in credit cards and electronic ticket smartcards.

“Dwani,” as the name suggests, uses acoustic waves to transfer data. The feature that catches the eyeball is that instead of dedicated hardware the app uses speaker and microphone on phones to exchange data. That means you just need to install the app, and your phone is NFC enabled.

The team was able to get the data rate up to 2.4 Kbps, which is enough for standard NFC applications.

The research team, consisting of Rajalakshmi Nandakumar, Krishna Kant Chintalapudi, Venkata N. Padmanabhan and Ramarathnam Venkatesan has developed the app with emphasis on secure communication by implementing 'JamSecure' technology to prevent eavesdropping.

‘JamSecure’ technology uses self-jamming coupled with self-interference cancellation at the receiver- meaning data signal is transmitted along with a noise signal that can only be removed by the receiver unit thereby preventing eavesdropping.

If you don’t have an NFC enabled Smartphone, like iPhones, some Android and Windows Smartphones, the app can help you get your device NFC enabled.

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