System Design for Passive Human Detection Using Principal Components of the Signal Strength Space

Radio irregularity phenomenon is often considered as a shortcoming of wireless sensor networks. In this paper, the radio irregularity is regarded as a benefit of wireless networks. The proposed novel method for human presence detection, applied to the monitoring system for residential energy management, utilizes radio irregularity for an efficient human presence detection which increases user awareness and automates the power control. The method monitors 2.4GHz wireless (Zigbee) smart outlets and the communication signals between them to detect changes of the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and its variations compared to the expected mean values. The signal strength variation is significantly increased due to human presence within the signal propagation path. By applying the algorithm for principal components analysis to the set of RSSI samples obtained from radio communication links within the detection area, it is possible to recognize a human presence. There is no need for additional presence sensors installation, because the proposed method applied to the smart outlets network is quite satisfactory to extend the entire system with the detection capability. Compared to the conventional sensor networks, the presented solution preserves the pervasiveness of smart energy and smart home systems, high level of sensorial intelligence, simplicity and low installation costs.