WiFi Sensing

WiFi sensing (also referred to as WLAN sensing) uses existing Wi-Fi signals to detect events or changes such as motion, gesture recognition, and biometric measurement (e.g. breathing). WiFi sensing is a combination of Wi-Fi and radar sensing technology working in tandem to enable usage of the same Wi-Fi transceiver hardware and RF spectrum for both communication and sensing.

The applications of WiFi sensing are broad. Wi-Fi may operate in multiple frequency bands, each providing a unique range of possible use cases dependent on the physical electro-magnetic propagation properties, approved power levels, and allocated bandwidth. There are three major applications: detection (binary classification), recognition (multi-class classification), and estimation (quantity values of size, length, angle, distance, etc.).

Combining communication and sensing within mobile networking technology is a large area of exploration. It is sometimes referred to as joint communications and radar/radio sensing (JCAS). Combining the two technologies can leverage existing hardware and infrastructure, enable new services, and provide a higher level of interaction with networked devices (e.g. IoT and automation).