WiTrack

Through-Wall 3D Tracking Using Body Radio Reflections

Contact: witrack-contact@csail.mit.edu

WiTrack is a device that tracks the 3D motion of a user from the radio signals reflected off her body. It works even if the person is occluded from the WiTrack device or in a different room. WiTrack does not require the user to carry any wireless device, yet its accuracy exceeds current RF localization systems, which require the user to hold a transceiver. It transmits wireless signals whose power is 100 times smaller than Wi-Fi and 1000 times smaller than cellphone transmissions.

WiTrack localizes the center of a human body to within 10 to 13 cm in the x and y dimensions (about the size of an adult hand), and 21 cm in the z dimension. It also provides coarse tracking of body parts, identifying the direction of a pointing hand with a median of 11.2 degrees. It can also detect falls with 96.9% accuracy. WiTrack can be incorporated into consumer electronics and has a wide set of applications.

Gaming in the Entire Home

WiTrack enables games in which users move around freely in the entire home. Unlike today's gaming interfaces (like Xbox Kinect), it does not require a player stand right in front of it to play a game. It can stalk him as he runs down hallways or hides behind furniture and walls from video game enemies.

Elderly Monitoring & Fall Detection

Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries among adults aged 65 and over. Current fall detection systems require the user to wear sensors or place cameras in her home, which invade her privacy. WiTrack can detect falls with 96.9% accuracy, even through walls and simply by using reflections off a person's body.

Controlling Household Appliances

WiTrack allows a user to control a household appliance, like turning a light on or off, by simply pointing his or her hand in its direction - even if it is in a completely different room.

People:	Faculty:	Students:
	Prof. Dina Katabi	Fadel Adib (Ph.D.)
	Prof. Robert C. Miller	Zachary Kabelac (M.Eng.)

Papers:

3D Tracking via Body Radio Reflections (+ SLIDES)
Fadel Adib, Zachary Kabelac, Dina Katabi, Robert C. Miller.
Usenix NSDI'14, Seattle, WA, April 2014

Multi-Person Localization via RF Body Reflections (+ SLIDES)
Fadel Adib, Zachary Kabelac, Dina Katabi.
Usenix NSDI'15, Oakland, CA, May 2015

Press:

Slate, Technology Review, Fast Company, Wired, Engadget, Bloomberg TV, Daily Mail, Hacker News , and other media outlets covered WiTrack

Also Check Out:

See Through Walls with WiFi! (+ VIDEO)
Fadel Adib and Dina Katabi.
ACM SIGCOMM'13, Hong Kong, August 2013

Smart Homes That Monitor Breathing and Heart Rate (+ VIDEO1) (+ VIDEO2)
Fadel Adib, Hongzi Mao, Zachary Kabelac, Dina Katabi, Robert C. Miller.
ACM CHI'15, Seoul, South Korea, April 2015

New: Capturing the Human Figure Through a Wall (+ VIDEO)
Fadel Adib, Chen-Yu Hsu, Hongzi Mao, Dina Katabi, Fredo Durand
To Appear: ACM SIGGRAPH Asia'15, Kobe, Japan, November 2015

New: Our work on motion tracking has led to Emerald, which we demoed to President Obama at the White House.
Emerald is a new device that detects elderly falls and monitors fall precursors including gait and balance problems, all without requiring any on-body sensor.