Researchers from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst say, unlike older technology, 6G could end up using people as antennas.

Specifically, 6G telecommunications could possibly take advantage of Visible Light Communication (VLC), which is like a wireless version of fiberoptics. Right now, fiberoptics use incredibly thin glass or plastic strands to transmit information on flashes of light. These wires are extremely small, but also extremely fragile.

The UMass Amherst team says they have created a low-cost and innovative way of harvesting waste energy from VLC — using the human body as an antenna. Their invention can recycle waste energy to power wearable devices and possibly larger electronics as well.

"VLC is quite simple and interesting," says Jie Xiong, professor of information and computer sciences at UMass Amherst, in university release. "Instead of using radio signals to send information wirelessly, it uses the light from LEDs that can turn on and off, up to one million times per second."

What makes VLC so appealing to the future of wireless technology is the fact that the infrastructure to use it already exists. Thanks to modern technology and smart devices, our homes, vehicles, streetlights, and offices are all lit by LED bulbs, and they could also be transmitting data.

"Anything with a camera, like our smartphones, tablets or laptops, could be the receiver," Xiong explains.