In the latest episode of Lexicon, the podcast by Interesting Engineering, Dr. Taj Manku, a seasoned expert in wireless technology and the visionary founder of Cognitive Systems Corp, joins us.
Dr. Manku has established himself as a serial entrepreneur in the technology sector. For instance, he founded Sirific Wireless, which Nvidia acquired for nearly half a billion dollars.
But what really sparks our interest in this episode is his current focus on Wi-Fi motion sensing. We begin to understand how this technology transforms our homes from just dwellings to smart, responsive environments for security and automation.
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First of all, what is Wi-Fi technology?
Wi-Fi technology falls under the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band — a band not regulated by the government,” Dr. Manku explains.
He explains that Wi-Fi is a short-range technology for wireless conductivity, typically for residential homes and commercial establishments. This is unlike cellular, which is long-range.
“It all sort of started one of the real pioneers, Apple ‚— they were one of the first to put it in their laptop,” he says.
“They did this because they wanted people to be able to untether themselves from an ethernet connection or some modem.”
Dr Manki explains that Wi-Fi meant they could now move their laptops wherever they wanted to and still have conductivity.
This ability then exploded into other applications, from phones to Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
“Right now, billions of devices out there have Wi-Fi for that short-range communication,” he says.
Wi-Fi beyond Internet connectivity
Dr. Manku stresses how Wi-Fi has evolved over time. Better yet, it has become something beyond just providing internet access.
“Wi-Fi is basically using what we call ‘electromagnetic waves’ to try to get information from one place to another,” he says.
Using light bulbs as an analogy, he describes how W-Fi has advanced over time, saying Wi-Fi signals were ‘invisible’ back in 2000.
“But today, if you go to a house — and if you could see them — [Wi-Fi] just lights up the whole place,” he describes.
He stresses how Wi-Fi empowers people to stay connected — and productive— in an increasingly digital world.
Misconceptions: where does Wi-Fi come from?
There is a need for clarification about where Wi-Fi comes from. So, IE prompts Dr. Manki to clear the air. Is Wi-Fi up above, or do underwater cables play a role in how it connects us?
He proceeds by explaining how Wi-Fi connectivity works in a typical household. Internet service providers such as Rogers and Bell in Canada or Comcast and T-Mobile in the U.S. set up a box in a subscriber’s home to enable internet access.
The box, which is referred to as a modem, receives information via a cable connection.
Within the modem, there is a Wi-Fi access point chip that processes the information from the cable and converts it into a signal that can be transmitted wirelessly “into the air.”
Devices like laptops or phones then pick up this signal with Wi-Fi chips and antennas. These devices receive the signal, process it, and display the desired content, such as streaming movies or web pages.
“That’s typically how it works,” he concludes. So, Wi-Fi is actually from the air—at least because it’s a local (short-range)wireless internet connection.
Underwater cables, also known as submarine communication cables, come into play for longer-range internet transmission. You can think of this type being for internet infrastructure that connects different parts of the world across oceans.
Wi-Fi Motion Sensing: where Wi-Fi reads air distortions
Dr. Manku reveals the underlying mechanics of Wi-Fi motion sensing. He emphasizes that its design is privacy-preserving and operates without being overly intrusive.
Wi-Fi, while you can’t see it, you “move into it,” he explains.
He compares it to moving through a space lit by light bulbs, where objects are visible due to light reflecting back to our eyes.
Similarly, Wi-Fi radiates throughout our homes, and as we move, our bodies cause distortions in these signals.
This clever approach relies on the fact that our bodies, mainly water, affect Wi-Fi signals.
“You are this big bag of water moving through the home. Wi-Fi motion starts looking at people moving and provides value on the commercial side,” he states.
Dr Manku clarifies that Wi-Fi motion sensing uses existing Wi-Fi routers. His company’s software processes Wi-Fi signals differently, enabling motion detection without extra devices.
The tech behind Wi-Fi motion sensing: AI and RF technology
In explaining the technology behind Wi-Fi motion sensing, Dr. Manku highlights the crucial role of artificial intelligent (AI) algorithms and radio frequency (RF) technology.
RF technology functions similarly to how the eye and brain process vision. Just as your eyes receive and process light waves to identify objects, RF technology uses antennas to capture signals from the air.
These signals are then analyzed to determine their nature and behavior.
While RF technology acts as the eyes, artificial intelligence (AI) serves as the brain, interpreting the data to recognize and categorize objects.
“So the AI is telling you, ‘Hey, that’s a person,’ but the RF technology is the one that’s getting information into the antenna,” Dr Manku clarifies.
This process mirrors how our eyes perceive and our brain comprehends visual information, albeit with RF signals instead of light waves.
It’s this relationship between AI and RF technology that enables accurate detection and analysis of motion events.
Applications
Security that sees you — without a camera
Dr. Manku explains Wi-Fi motion sensing’s focus on movement detection without identifying individuals directly, stating, “We really can’t tell who that person is per se,” he says.
This privacy-centric approach is advantageous for a lightweight security solution, for example, in elderly care applications.
Dr Manku highlights its ability to discreetly monitor movements, enabling caregivers to track elderly family members’ activities without invasive surveillance.
Micro-motion detection
Moreover, the tech offers healthcare monitoring by detecting micro-movements that can check whether a person is breathing and their breathing rate.
“It can actually measure that small movement of your chest moving up and down,” he adds.
Automating households
Wi-Fi motion sensing can also automate household tasks based on detected motion. “Let’s say I know motion’s happening in the kitchen, and I can do some IoT-type things like turn on the kitchen light,” he says.
“It makes the space smarter.”
Dr Manku briefly highlights that Wi-Fi motion sensing can also automate household tasks based on detected motion.
Safeguarding user data
He highlights that Wi-Fi motion sensing operates within the user’s home, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access or data breaches.
“Nothing is sent to a third party to look at the data. All our software is not running up in some cloud,” Dr Manku says.
“It’s actually running on that person’s device…right on the premises of the person’s home.”
Dr. Manku also underlines the implementation of this localized processing, which is combined with robust encryption mechanisms to safeguard user data.
13 billion homes and counting
Dr Manku reveals that Wi-Fi sensing is transitioning into a standard that promises swift deployment across various devices.
“The deployment of this is going to be very, very quick,” he says. “So every device will eventually have Wi-Fi sensing on it.”
It’s just a case of offering users the option to activate or deactivate it as needed.
With emerging applications for Wi-Fi motion, we’re witnessing the early phases of its adoption.
“We have around about 13 billion deployments already, and that’s just starting — so it’s actually still growing,” he states.
To conclude, it’s clear Wi-Fi sensing motion technology is becoming deeply integrated into Wi-Fi devices, marking the beginning of its widespread use.
