What you’ll learn:
- How Wi-Fi sensing is reliable, affordable, and can become a staple in our homes.
- Why it requires little training and can safely detect between friend and foe.
- Use cases for home alarm systems, elderly telecare assistance, and shop analytics are right around the corner.
Paul Hendriks talks us through the benefits that Wi-Fi sensing promises, along with common misunderstandings and exaggerations to help debunk the myths surrounding the technology. Hendriks has a long-standing career in telecoms and cybersecurity, having started his career with Dutch operator KPN before moving into roles at Ziggo and AVG Technologies. He’s now CEO of Gamgee and understands the benefits and limitations of Wi-Fi sensing.
This article is perfectly timed as myths and misconceptions about Wi-Fi sensing multiply across the internet. Here, Hendriks debunks 11 of those myths.
1. Wi-Fi sensing invades privacy by recording audio and video.
That’s not true. Wi-Fi sensing uses special characteristics of the Wi-Fi signals, the so-called Channel State Information (CSI), to detect motion and activities. Wi-Fi sensing doesn’t use audio or video and doesn’t track personal phones.
Rest assured with Wi-Fi sensing that no sensitive data will leave the home, as all of the information can be stored on a Wi-Fi router and not in the cloud.
2. Wi-Fi sensing doesn't work through walls or function in homes with multiple floors.
Wi-Fi signals can actually penetrate walls and detect motion and activities in different rooms, making it effective for whole-home coverage. Wi-Fi signals can also propagate across multiple floors, allowing for effective monitoring throughout multi-story homes.
Constantly adaptable to the environment, electromagnetic waves provide complete coverage of the home, leaving behind no blind spots. This is regardless of the number of walls, whether there are multiple floors, or if it’s day or night, i.e., in light or darkness.
3. Wi-Fi sensing is inaccurate and unreliable.
With advanced algorithms and machine learning, Wi-Fi sensing has become highly accurate in detecting motion, falls, and anomalous behavior. The network can recognize reflections in the Wi-Fi signals being transmitted, which are then analyzed by AI-powered algorithms to establish whether there’s motion.
4. Wi-Fi sensing only works in homes with high-speed internet.
Wi-Fi sensing relies on local network signals and doesn’t require high-speed internet to function effectively. Wi-Fi sensing can operate on home Wi-Fi infrastructure without causing interference to other devices or degrading internet performance.
5. Wi-Fi sensing devices are expensive and complicated to install, as well as require constant maintenance and updates.
Wi-Fi sensing devices are affordable and designed for easy, plug-and-play installation without professional help. Wi-Fi sensing systems are basically Wi-Fi mesh systems with a software upgrade to enable motion detection. These systems can be used for regular internet access and motion-detection services. Essentially, users get one platform for multiple applications.
Service providers of these solutions regularly update and improve the software of these systems.
6. Wi-Fi sensing poses health risks due to radiation.
Wi-Fi sensing uses the same low-power Wi-Fi signals as standard routers, which are within safe exposure limits set by health organizations.
7. Wi-Fi sensing can’t differentiate between different types of movements.
Advanced Wi-Fi sensing systems can distinguish between different activities, such as walking, falling, and sitting, using sophisticated data analysis and anomaly detection.
Not only that, but a network that encompasses Wi-Fi sensing and artificial intelligence (AI) is able to intelligently detect and differentiate between family members, guests, pets, or even intruders. It can use AI to analyze the disturbances in the Wi-Fi wave, enabling it to identify the difference in body gait between a person, pet, or object.
With AI algorithms built into the router, a person’s unique gait, gesture, and body mass can all be combined for a “bodyprint” that’s recognizable to the system.
8. Wi-Fi sensing is ineffective in homes with many electronic devices and can’t be integrated with other smart-home systems.
Modern Wi-Fi sensing systems are designed to filter out noise and interference from other electronic devices. Wi-Fi sensing can be easily integrated with various smart-home ecosystems, enhancing automation and security.
9. Wi-Fi sensing systems are vulnerable to hacking and cyberattacks.
Secure Wi-Fi sensing systems employ robust encryption and security protocols to protect against unauthorized access and cyberthreats. Regular updates and security patches are important, and users should verify this before purchasing from a provider.
10. Wi-Fi sensing can’t be used for home security.
Traditional home security systems might lack customization, and false alarms may erode customer trust, but Wi-Fi sensing overcomes these limitations. It’s also a fraction of the cost of traditional systems. While the likes of cameras as part of a home alarm system may prove to be effective, they also store a lot of sensitive data. Of course, this poses a privacy concern.
An alarm system that combines both Wi-Fi sensing and AI can take two weeks to train and calibrate to detect motion and differentiate between family, guests, and intruders. From day one, motion can be detected, recognizing patterns and people. And as more training time passes, the system becomes smarter and more accurate. If motion is detected, a notification is sent to the homeowner’s mobile device.
11. Wi-Fi sensing is only useful for security applications.
Wi-Fi sensing has versatile applications, including elderly care, home automation, energy management, hotel monitoring, and shop analytics.
Read more articles in the TechXchange: Wireless IoT Technologies.
