This tech company has developed an algorithm that can use WiFi to detect motion in a room

smart home device install base

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Origin Wireless has developed a series of algorithms that can use the signal from mesh Wi-Fi networks to detect motion in a room, according to Engadget.

The development of this and similar technologies could have major implications on home-security systems and other home-monitoring solutions, offering companies new, simpler ways to detect movement in a home or business.

The setup uses a transmission mode on the mesh-enabled Wi-Fi routers that’s typically reserved for initial configuration, with one router acting as a transmitter and others as receivers. The transmitting router sends out signals that bounce around the room before eventually reaching the receiver, and the software can monitor how long this takes. When something moves in a room, that causes a change in the way those signals bounce around, leading to differences in the amount of time between transmission and reception along a given pathway, which the software can interpret as movement.

Origin’s motion-detection software could enable a variety of home-monitoring solutions that eschew the need for cameras or specialized sensors. A device like a Nest Cam home-security camera, for instance, records video streamed from a purpose-built device and uses cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) tools to determine if there’s movement. Systems like Xfinity Home use dedicated motion sensors to monitor rooms for movement. While both types of systems — especially camera-based solutions — provide much more specific data than Origin’s algorithms can derive from Wi-Fi routers, they also require additional hardware, whereas more and more homes feature mesh Wi-Fi coverage, which means monitoring could be enabled just through software updates.

This type of monitoring system has applications beyond the burgeoning home-security market. Origin’s algorithms can track movement accurately down to one or two centimeters, which means it can be used to monitor breathing rates or other medical conditions, much like a dedicated system developed by MIT scientists to observe sleep apnea. It can also monitor elderly individuals who are prone to falls, easing the workload of nurses or CNAs at hospitals or assisted living facilities. Combining multiple hardware services into a single device can reduce the price of a solution and allow for faster, cost-effective expansion, lowering barriers for consumer adoption of smart-home monitoring.

The US smart home market has still yet to meet the expectations many observers had in the early part of this decade.

The same issues BI Intelligence first identified back in 2015 still plague the space — persistently high prices, technological fragmentation, and consumers' lack of a perceived benefit from the devices.

But the newfound popularity of smart home voice control has revolutionized smart home ecosystems across the country, and convinces more consumers to equip their homes with smart devices on a daily basis. The Amazon Echo, released in 2014, has become immensely popular and capable, awakening users to the utility of both voice control and smart home devices. This has prompted companies to rush to release competing devices and integrate voice control into their smart home ecosystems.

Nicholas Shields, research associate for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on the US smart home market that:

Analyzes current consumer demand for smart home devices based off results from BI Intelligence's proprietary survey.
Forecasts future growth in the number of smart home devices installed in American homes.
Analyzes the factors influencing the proliferation of voice control devices in the homes.
Identifies and analyzes the market strategies of various companies that have integrated voice control into their smart home ecosystems.

To get the full report, subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and more than 250 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >> Learn More Now

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