Iwata Asks about the WiiPad's ability to work through walls
The Wii U hardware development team is aware that the first thing most people will do with their WiiPads is see how far they will work away from the console, inside their homes. The WiiPad's radio waves need a clear line of travel to the Wii U to work properly, meaning even things such as walls and holding it vertically posed a problem for the team. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata describes the vertical issue himself during the latest Iwata Asks:
"To address why holding it vertically may have been an issue, is because radio waves don't spread well underwater, but the human body is 60 to 70 percent water, so it can interfere with radio wave paths. Since you hold it both vertically and horizontally, it gets more difficult to place the antenna where the radio waves can easily reach it."
The Product Development department at Nintendo had to deal with this problem, as well as the wall issue. Of course, the team says, working through walls depends entirely on what materials those partitions are made out of. Other factors, such as placing the Wii U on a metal surface, can reduce the WiiPad's range.
One question the team got was if people will be able to use the WiiPad in the bathroom, and for the answer we have anecdotal evidence from Product Development member Toru Yamashita. "By the way, my living room and bathroom are separated by a single wall and I was able to use it."
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/17/iw...through-walls/
