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Through-Wall Human Pose Estimation Using Radio Signals

rfpose.csail.mit.edu

151–160 of 180 posts

Re: Through-Wall Human Pose Estimation Using Radio Signals

#151
post #7

With this paper our last shreds of privacy are being taken away, but they presented the news with nice background music, so there's that.

They already have your up-to-the-second location and all your private data. All this adds is what pose you're currently making with your body.

Speaking of, I was halfway expecting to see a couple stick figures banging each other behind a wall somewhere in that video. I really think that would have been the frosting on top; they should consider this for the next video when it's time for another round of funding.

Re: Through-Wall Human Pose Estimation Using Radio Signals

#152
post #127
post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're all American in some measure as they are all living in the US at MIT. But they are clearly immigrants or the descendants of immigrants.

Look, I get the point you're trying to make, and I know you're not trying to be racist or xenophobic, but implying that having a foreign-sounding name make you less than entirely American is a really bad look. Literally everyone credited in this paper could have been born and raised in the USA with birthright citizenship. I know that, realistically, that's not the case, but jumping to assumptions about individuals ba…

Thank you for taking the time to write this.

Re: Through-Wall Human Pose Estimation Using Radio Signals

#153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's somewhat similar, but AT&T (and Apple) have forced my iPhone to always join the "attwifi" public wireless networks (present in Home Depot, airports, etc.). I can't make my iPhone NOT auto-join it, no matter how many steps, guides, hop-on-one-foot voodoo that I've tried. The wireless network is terrible at everything except signal strength.

This isn’t something AT&T can force, afaik. Two things: 1. Go to Settings > WiFi and turn Ask to Join Networks ON. 2. Any time you are auto-connected to a network and don’t want to do that again, go to Settings > WiFi, tap the blue info icon next to the currently active wifi network, and then tap Forget this Network when the details show up. Ask to Join Networks is usually off by default. That means your phone will a…

Thank you (for those who don’t know) but I’ve already done that multiple times. I’ve reset network settings. I’ve done crazy voodoo with restarts, airplane mode, etc.

It’s possible that it’s been “fixed” in subsequent iOS updates. I haven’t tried recently.

Re: Through-Wall Human Pose Estimation Using Radio Signals

#154

We could be using this technology to see tumors and other pathologies through patients’ skin. Instead we’re using it to give soldiers and spies x-ray vision.

No we can't use this radio signals to see tumors, because science is not magic and wishful thinking will not solve the technical problems. Let's try to name a few:

The radio signals are absorbed by wet salty meatbags, so you can find them using radio signals, but you can't see thru them. If you raise the power to compensate the absorption, you will cook the meatbags, like a microwave oven.

If you were lucky to get a signal at the other end, the radio signal can distinguish between meat-bone-air-water, but not between tissues like meat and tumors that have a somewhat similar composition. A tomography use contrast to try to distinguish them. A magnetic resonance is better, but it use a huge magnet (and in some cases it use contrast too).

And also, the radio frequency that they are using has a wavelength of an inch approximately. So roughly it can resolve things that are an inch long, so it must be a big tumor to be visible. Perhaps you can try with a higher frequency that has a smaller wavelength.

And if I understand correctly, this device needs a lot of calibration, so you need version of the part of the body without the tumor and a version with tumors of different sizes and positions to calibrate the device and then try to use it in the real subject.

Re: Through-Wall Human Pose Estimation Using Radio Signals

#155
post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe you can achieve the same result in your home by adding a sheet metal roof, metal cabinets, and refrigerators along every wall.

It's a rather unfortunate coincidence, isn't it? Certainly it's not their fault that their buildings just happen to be constructed in such a way, and their products arranged such that it blocks signal causing customers to not be able to compare prices and have to use their approved internet connection. /s I see this in the Targets in my town. I just expect signal to drop to zero.

I have a tin roof, metal front porch and a large metal rear-facing verandah at my house.. This effectively becomes a massive faraday cage as far as my phones concerned. The things that you wish you'd considered in hindsight when choosing construction materials.

Re: Through-Wall Human Pose Estimation Using Radio Signals

#156
post #42

Wi-fi has been researched for this capability since at least 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGZzNZnYIHo

It’s a new paper from the same group.

In 2015, the tracker person was just shown as an amorphous blob on the screen. In the recent paper, they display a stick figure modelling the movements of the person’s limbs.

Re: Through-Wall Human Pose Estimation Using Radio Signals

#157

Do the people that write these papers ever release their source code or trained model? I'm curious about both other researchers reproducing as well as being able to download something and play with it.

They’re using custom hardware to make this work.

This isn’t always clear from the press release. For example, they mention that the technology works at “WiFi frequencies.” That’s true, but they’re sending a radar signal using two huge antennas, not a Wi-Fi router.

Re: Through-Wall Human Pose Estimation Using Radio Signals

#158

I've noticed, recently, that literally every major chain store I go into blocks my cell signal. I get full bars outside, perfect LTE, and about 5 ft past the glass doors, I'm suddenly cut off. Specifically, Meijer grocery stores and Home Depot are the worst offenders. Coincidentally they offer free in store WiFi to track me with, so I turn off my wifi radio on both smartphone and smartwatch before walking in the door…

"Available for me". Are you assuming we know who you are? What's available for you might be very out of reach to others. Farady cages are not some wallpaper you put on your house.

Re: Through-Wall Human Pose Estimation Using Radio Signals

#159

I've noticed, recently, that literally every major chain store I go into blocks my cell signal. I get full bars outside, perfect LTE, and about 5 ft past the glass doors, I'm suddenly cut off. Specifically, Meijer grocery stores and Home Depot are the worst offenders. Coincidentally they offer free in store WiFi to track me with, so I turn off my wifi radio on both smartphone and smartwatch before walking in the door…

In terms of passive signal blocking, I wonder if the chickenwire mesh that holds exterior stucco in place could serve as an effective Faraday cage? Or aluminum siding? I'm sure the metal roof and walls of a modular storage building would. Most businesses use metal studs to support interior walls, though I doubt their ~2 foot spacing would block wifi or cellular RF. In terms of active cellular jamming, that should be…

> I wonder if the chickenwire mesh that holds exterior stucco in place could serve as an effective Faraday cage?

I can confirm that. I've had a shed in the past where I've used chicken wire to secure insulation and it seems to work well, albeit unintentionally at the time.

Re: Through-Wall Human Pose Estimation Using Radio Signals

#160
post #49

I've noticed, recently, that literally every major chain store I go into blocks my cell signal. I get full bars outside, perfect LTE, and about 5 ft past the glass doors, I'm suddenly cut off. Specifically, Meijer grocery stores and Home Depot are the worst offenders. Coincidentally they offer free in store WiFi to track me with, so I turn off my wifi radio on both smartphone and smartwatch before walking in the door…

I believe you can achieve the same result in your home by adding a sheet metal roof, metal cabinets, and refrigerators along every wall.

Don't forget to stack large quantities of tin and aluminum cans about 8 feet high or so.
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