What is Wi-Fi Sensing?
Wi-Fi sensing is an emerging technology that leverages Wi-Fi signals to detect and monitor human activities, environmental changes, and object movements without requiring users to carry any devices. By analyzing Channel State Information (CSI) from Wi-Fi transmissions, systems can perform contactless sensing for various applications.
How Wi-Fi Sensing Works
Wi-Fi sensing operates by analyzing the propagation characteristics of Wi-Fi signals in the environment. When Wi-Fi signals travel from transmitter to receiver, they undergo various phenomena:
- Multipath propagation: Signals reflect, diffract, and scatter off objects
- Channel State Information (CSI): Detailed information about signal amplitude and phase
- Signal perturbations: Changes caused by human movement, breathing, or environmental factors
These signal variations create unique patterns that machine learning algorithms can interpret to detect activities, presence, and movements.
Key Advantages
- Privacy-preserving: No cameras or wearable devices required
- Ubiquitous: Leverages existing Wi-Fi infrastructure
- Works in darkness: Unlike vision-based systems
- Through-wall capability: Can detect activities through walls
- Low power: Uses standard Wi-Fi hardware
Applications
Wi-Fi sensing enables numerous applications across different domains:
- Smart homes: Occupancy detection, fall detection, activity monitoring
- Healthcare: Vital sign monitoring, patient tracking, rehabilitation
- Security: Intrusion detection, perimeter monitoring
- Retail: Customer analytics, crowd monitoring
- Industrial: Worker safety, equipment monitoring
Getting Started
This documentation provides comprehensive guides for:
- Understanding use cases - Learn about specific applications
- Hardware setup - Configure devices for Wi-Fi sensing
- Data collection - Record and preprocess CSI data
- Model development - Train machine learning models
- Deployment - Implement sensing systems
Whether you’re a researcher, developer, or enthusiast, these resources will help you build effective Wi-Fi sensing applications.