Wireless Multipath: From a Challenge to an Opportunity for Sensing and Localization
Abstract:
Recent advances in wireless technology have extended its use beyond simply a communication medium to that of a human sensing tool. In our research, we propose Multipath Triangulation, the first geometric algorithm that uses multipath reflections rather than eliminating them to enhance WiFi sensing and localization. This innovative method allows all WiFi devices in a home to act as sensors, localizing each other, and functioning more efficiently, and reliably. We expect multipath triangulation to lead a universal paradigm shift in WiFi sensing by enabling context-based application using commodity WiFi devices. As our preliminary work, we demonstrate that multipath triangulation results in the first decimeter-level WiFi localization system that requires only a single access point and does not impose any overhead, data sharing, or coordination protocols beyond standard WiFi communication. In our proposed research, we first extend our preliminary work to a simultaneous localization and mapping system using a single WiFi access point. Then, we extend multipath triangulation to a device-free indoor localization system to track people without requiring them to carry any device by just using available WiFi devices in any environment.
Committee Members:
Kamin Whitehouse (Advisor), John Stankovic (Chair), Madhur Behl, Quanquan Gu, Robert M. Weikle II (Minor Representative)