WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Two scientists in the United States have experimented on smart home technology with a new suite of sensors that can read not only vibrations, sounds, a specific gait in a building, but also subtle changes in the ambient electrical field.
In the coming decade, the smart home may adjust to your activity with only a few small, hidden sensors in walls and floor, without the need for invasive cameras, according to a study released Thursday by Case Western Reserve University in the city of Cleveland.
The technology connects home appliances, lighting, heating and cooling systems with the Internet, and they can be remotely controlled by computer or smart phone apps. While this is referred to the "Internet of Things," the two scientists called the new technology they're inventing the "Internet of Ears."
"We are trying to make a building that is able to 'listen' to the humans inside," said Huang Ming-Chun, an assistant professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Huang studied human gait and motion tracking while his colleague Soumyajit Mandal focused on vibration sensing and changes in the existing electrical field caused by the presence of humans or even pets.
"There is actually a constant 60 Hz electrical field all around us, and because people are somewhat conductive, they short out the field just a little," said Mandal.
"By measuring the disturbance in that field, we are able to determine their presence, or their breathing, even when there are no vibrations associated with sound," Mandal added.
Such system can save energy for buildings since it can adjust to how humans are moving from one room to another, allocating energy more efficiently, according to Huang.
It can also track and measure a building's structural integrity and safety, based on human occupancy, which would be critical in an earthquake or hurricane.
