Your WiFi router is going to get upgraded and the upgrade is pretty awesome. As per a recent patent application by Qualcomm, your WiFi router could be changed to indoor radar.
Your WiFi Router thus not only will provide you internet connectivity, but will act as a security alarm system, too. And I should mention that it will do a way better work than a CCTV camera.
One of the flaws of CCTV cameras in our home security system is that its range is limited and it could only detect an activity – by an intruder or anything of that sort – within its line of sight. Another problem is that, these cameras could be fooled as they don’t trigger an alarm for a non-moving body. Also, it can’t differentiate between a known person/animal and an unknown person/animal.
And this indoor WiFi radar is going to do all of this. It has better range, can differentiate between a known/unknown object/person/animal, and can even detect a very slow moving object.
Another area where it beats CCTV systems is that it can detect a person’s heartbeat and breathing, too. Wooh! Do you know how awesome this feature is?
Let me explain: If someone in a home falls over and all of a sudden stops breathing, the indoor WiFi radar can detect that and can alert someone else in the house. An aid in time can save a life.
Another benefit of this is that, even if an intruder will be sitting/standing idle, he would get detected as he can’t stop his heart from beating and his lungs from breathing.
Are you wondering…
… How Indoor WiFi Radar does all of these cool stuff?
To convert a WiFi router into indoor radar, Qualcomm, in the patent applications, proposes using UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) signals with conventional WiFi signals.
The WiFi signals in Qualcomm’s device will help detect movements at greater range – using Doppler Shift – and the UWB signals will help detecting slow moving and stationary objects – using power profile of signals.
Whenever there will be any movement, the WiFi router will receive signals that are distorted than the originally sent one. As different type of movements – walking, hand gestures, etc. – distort a wireless field in a different pattern, the type of distortion will help detect the type of movement.
The UHB signals can even penetrate through a wall and are capable of detecting any movement that’s going on on the other side of a wall. It’s the UWB signal that can detect heartbeats and breathing.
This brings so many possibilities other that security, like controlling smart home gadgets using gestures or monitoring where your cat is hiding around or inside the house.
Or you could use Intel’s magic wand. Yes, a magic wand by Intel will actually let you control your smart home gadgets with spells and gestures; just like in Harry potter.
I should let you know that Qualcomm isn’t someone that came up with this concept first. Earlier, In 2012, the researchers from University College London used UBW signal to do the same thing.
How Qualcomm’s invention is different than the University researchers, I’ll let you know in one of the next articles!
Featured image via Qualcomm