The name Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler is probably not at all familiar to you. Likewise, if you are a big movie buff and love classic films, you may know her by her stage name, Hedy Lamarr. We do not intend to tell you about his filmography, but about Lamarr’s talent as a inventor and technology pioneer Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth.
Actress Hedy Lamarr was very popular during what is known as the “Golden Age of Hollywood.” Her great beauty and talent opened the doors to the film industry for her, appearing in some of the most important films of the time.
But this Austrian actress was ahead of her time, being a talented inventor. She is most notable for her collaboration with composer George Anthiel to create a secure communication system during World War II. The idea is for the military to communicate securely.
Hedy Lamarr, the actress who invented Wi-Fi
During World War II, great technological advances were made to meet various needs. One of the most important needs was the ability to communicate without the “Axis powers” being able to capture or interrupt conversations.
Because of her Austrian-born background, she felt motivated to contribute to the American war effort. She was concerned about the ease with which the enemy could intercept conversations, so she generously offered her abilities.
Lamarr collaborated with composer George Antheil to develop a secret communications system called the “frequency-hopping spread spectrum system.” In developing it, they were inspired by Antheil’s technique for composing piano music.
The system consisted of a total of 88 frequencies, one of which was selected at random. Something so seemingly simple made it very difficult for the “Axis Powers” to intercept and decode the signal. With this solution, Allied troops could communicate more easily without worrying too much about being heard by the enemy.
This technology was patented by Lamarr and Antheil in 1924, but it would be decades before its importance to wireless communications was realized. Interestingly enough, Lamarr’s patent was filed under the last name of her then-husband, Lous B. Markell.
Precisely, frequency hopping is the basis of current technologies in communication systems such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and other developments. Thus, without the collaboration of actress Lamarr and pianist Antheil, we would not have these technologies.
The reality is that Hedy’s role in communication systems remains largely unknown. She is best known for her filmography and for rejecting certain roles, such as that of the protagonist in Casablanca.
To give her visibility, she was created in 2014 in Austria, her home country, and the “Invention Day” is named after her. In addition, Hedy has inspired many women to get involved in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
In the scientific and computer science fields, there have been great pioneers, even if they have not always had the recognition or visibility that they should have had.
