UAV and WIFI hit "combination boxing" Can pass through the wall to stereoscopically image the object [Full text]

Technology Trends With the increasing use of drones, there are more and more new ideas for their use. Recently, researchers at the University of California have successfully developed wall-through imaging technology using a pair of drones and wifi.

Three years ago, scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) used WIFI-equipped ground robots to acquire two-dimensional images of objects hidden behind a brick wall. Now, UCSB researchers have proposed a new method for 3D stereoscopic imaging using drones and WIFI. UCSB professor Yassin Mostofi also demonstrated three-dimensional imaging of objects that they have penetrated through the wall via ordinary wireless signals. The technology involves the collaboration of two drones and can have multiple applications such as emergency search and rescue, archeological discovery and structural monitoring.

Mostofy stated that their method only uses WIFI RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) measurements, does not require any previous preparation, and does not use object motion imaging.

In their experiment, you can see two octocopter drones flying outside the closed four brick walls, and the internal objects cannot be seen directly. In flight, one of the UAVs continuously sends WIFI signals, and the other receives and analyzes signal power.

After testing several flight routes, the researchers successfully obtained 3D high-resolution images of the objects in the wall, and the 3D images matched the actual area. There are four key aspects, first of all, they propose a robotic path that can capture spatial variations in all three dimensions as much as possible while maintaining the efficiency of the operation.

Second, they modeled the 3D unknown region of interest as a Markov random field to capture spatial dependence. Third, in order to approximate the interaction of the transmitted waves with the region of interest, they use a linear wave model. Finally, they used the compressibility of the information content to image the area with very few WiFi measurements (less than 4%).

In fact, this technology is based on the research foundation of 2010. In that year, the Mostofi Laboratory released the first imaging demonstration using only WIFI, followed by some research on the same subject. Dr. Chitra R. Karanam stated that using walls for high-resolution 3D imaging is very challenging, but this is the main motivation for their projects and they will go further.

From the published video, it can be seen that although the maps that the researchers eventually draw are not perfect, they are obviously better than nothing. One of the most obvious applications is the search and rescue operation of a collapsed building or mine. The relevant department can use the drone to draw an internal map before sending people in.

However, if these drones have their own consciousness someday in the future, then it is bound to be a terrible catastrophe for humans, because in front of it, humans have no place to hide.

Original title: Researchers use drones and wifi to create a wall-through imaging technology