Kansas University researchers will soon be working with the Bluetooth world headquarters to test appliances using their new wireless communication technology.

KU’s Information and Telecommunications Technology Center and Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), based in Overland Park, announced Tuesday they will collaborate on devices that talk to each other at short range.

Devices equipped with Bluetooth chips could serve as universal remotes, opening garage doors, printing documents from computers or programming TVs, said Victor Frost, ITTC director.

Frost said the postage stamp-sized Bluetooth chip can be inserted into many electronic devices, allowing them to share information wirelessly at short range.

For example, phones, handheld organizers and personal computers could share address books and schedules, he said.

“We believer our work with Bluetooth SIG will help accelerate the deployment of Bluetooth technology worldwide and is a great opportunity for ITTC to gain exposure with the many member companies of Bluetooth,” said Joseph Evans, who is the principal investigator for the project.

Evans is the Charles E. Spahr professor of electrical engineering and computer science at KU.

Bluetooth SIG has set standards for the new technology that have been adopted by 2,000 member companies.

ITTC’s role will be to test a variety of appliances to ensure that they work correctly with the chips. The chips send and receive messages at multiple frequencies, which are used to avoid interference from other transmissions.

The goal is to make a variety of products that talk to each other. The Bluetooth industry is expected to grow to $12 billion by 2006.