Using a wireless LAN to perform motion detection

In a wireless home network, multipath signal components are made up of reflections from walls, ceilings, floors, furniture, and other objects. Any motion in the vicinity will change the magnitude of the multipath components arriving at the antenna. This variation in signal strength intensity is statistically significant and does not rely on line-of-sight between the transmitter and receiver. In this project, a set of wireless sensor nodes were developed that are capable of utilizing the RSSI variance between path links to detect motion and control electrical outlets. The result is a stable, reliable room of “smart outlets” that can sense whether or not a room is occupied, and change their state accordingly.