“Quite frequently in the computer security business, we invent things that are super secure but hard to use, and people don’t understand them,” said Tim Pierson, doctoral student and Wanda’s creator. “We set out to make something that my parents and in-laws could use.”
The wand relies on Wi-Fi to operate, and the prototype currently consists of a ruler with two attached antennas. Plug it into a Wi-Fi router, and it acquires the network name and password. From there, it can be detached and pointed at a medical device to connect the latter to the network, as well.
For example, if a doctor sends a patient home with a Wi-Fi-enabled blood pressure cuff, the patient can simply point the wand at the cuff rather than manually enter a password to establish a Wi-Fi connection. And once the connection is made, blood pressure readings will be transmitted to the doctor’s office.
“One of the good things about this system is that the user doesn’t even have to know that information,” Pierson told the AP. “The wand can get it from your Wi-Fi router and impart it on the device. We talked to a lot of people who have Wi-Fi in their homes and have no idea what their password is.”