WiSee device uses Wi-Fi signals for gesture recognition

The technology, dubbed WiSee, could enable multiple users to control home appliances such as light switches and music players, with a simple wave of the hand. "This is the first home gesture recognition system that works without either requiring instrumentation of the user with sensors or deploying cameras in every room," said Shyam Gollakota, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington. Gollakota says the WiSee concept is similar to Xbox Kinect, but simpler and cheaper. In addition, because Wi-Fi signals can travel through walls, it doesn't require users to be in the same room as the device they want to control. At the heart of the system is a smart receiver device that essentially listens to all of the wireless transmissions coming from devices throughout a home, including smartphones, laptops and tablets. The system also relies on multiple antennas to tune into a specific user's movements, so that as many as five people can move simultaneously in the same residence without confusing the receiver. To unlock the system, users simply perform a specific repetition gesture sequence, which essentially acts as a password. Once access is gained, different commands can be assigned to different movements. According to Gollakota, WiSee can identify nine different whole body gestures, ranging from pushing and pulling to full body bowling. The researchers tested these gestures with five users in two different environments. Out of the 900 gestures performed, the technology was able to accurately classify 94% of them.