Wi-Vi: See Through Walls with Wi-Fi Signals
Fadel Adib      Dina Katabi
HOME PROJECT DESIGN EVALUATION PRESS

Can Wi-Fi signals enable us to see through walls? For many years humans have fantasized about X-ray vision and played with the concept in comic books and sci-fi movies. This project explores the potential of using Wi-Fi signals and recent advances in MIMO communications to build Wi-Vi, a device that can capture the motion of humans behind a wall and in closed rooms.

What Can Wi-Vi Do?

  • Detect the Number of Moving Humans in a Closed Room
    Wi-Vi allows us to detect presence of a moving human in a closed room. It can also can determine with high accuracy up to 3 moving objects.

  • Determine the Relative Locations of Moving Humans
    The technology can also determine the motion of different persons in a closed room. It can answer questions such as: Is the person moving towards the device or away from it? What is the angle of motion of a person inside a closed room relative to the location of WiVi?

  • Enable Communication through a Wall without Carrying a Wireless Device
    Wi-Vi is both a transmitter and a receiver. A human can communicate with it using simple gestures without carrying or wearing any wireless device.

  • Identify Simple Gestures from Behind a Wall
    Wi-Vi can detect very simple gestures made through a wall, making it the first through-wall gesture-based interface.

Law Enforcement
Emergency Responders Intrustion Detection Monitoring Babies/Elderly Monitoring Babies/Elderly Gaming

What are the Applications of Wi-Vi?

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