This 1940s Katy Perry Lookalike Is Partially Responsible for WiFi
Hedy Lamarr Pictured with Her Original Patent: "Frequency Hopping, Spread-Spectrum Communication System"
And we're back- This is the fifth release of "WWYSI" and this week is all about Hedy Lamarr. She was referred to as "the most beautiful woman in Hollywood" but there was plenty more than meets the eye with Hedy Lamarr, so with that being said-
What would you say if...I told you that this American Film Star unknowingly laid the foundation to what would become the Global Positioning Systems (GPS), wireless phones, and even Wi-Fi.
Hedy Lamarr developed a patent named the Frequency Hopping, Spread-Spectrum Communication System, which she would later receive in August of 1942. This device allowed for signals to be divided or split up and broadcasted in short sections over multiple frequencies. Interference from outside sources was significantly reduced with a change in the carrier frequency.
Today, it is popular for the technology used in Lamarr's patent to be used in everyday devices. For example, in Wi-Fi routers the 2.4 GHz bandwidth is operated on Frequency Hopping, Spread-Spectrum (FHSS).
Although Lamarr sold her patent, it has truly left an impact on our everyday lives and I can confidently say that Hedy Lamarr ran with technology so we could run even further!
TL;DR:
Hedy Lamarr laid the foundation to quite a few modern devices that we use in everyday society. She did this by developing a patent called the Frequency Hopping, Spread-Spectrum Communication System. She received the patent in 1942. Her patent is still used in everyday technology—for example GPS, wireless phones and even Wi-Fi.