SweepSense

Ad-Hoc Configuration Sensing Using Swept-Frequency Ultrasonics

Abstract

Devices can be made more intelligent if they can sense their surroundings and physical configuration. However, adding special purpose sensors increases size, price and build complexity. Instead, we use speakers and microphones already present in a wide variety of devices to open new sensing opportunities. Our technique sweeps through a range of inaudible frequencies, allowing us to deduce information about the immediate environment. We offer several example uses, two of which we implemented as self-contained demos, and conclude with an evaluation that quantifies their performance and demonstrates high accuracy.

FULL CITATION

Gierad Laput, Xiang 'Anthony' Chen, and Chris Harrison. 2016. SweepSense: Ad Hoc Configuration Sensing Using Reflected Swept-Frequency Ultrasonics. In Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI '16). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 332-335. DOI=http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2856767.2856812

MEDIA and IMAGES

SWEEPSENSE: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can this system work on larger speaker systems, like cars?

Cars are excellent because they have multiple speakers (one for each door), and a central microphone. This could be useful, for example, for sensing seat occupancy (e.g., is child present?) or obstructions.

How loud is the ultrasound and would children or pets hear them?

The ultrasound we use in our prototype ranges from 17kHz to 22kHz, which is slightly over human hearing. Children or pets can hear within this range, but this is no different from e.g., music from speakers. However, as hardware improves, we can utilize ultrasound that would be well beyond pets or human hearing.

© 2021. Gierad Laput.