RF Sensing of Personnel in Wooded Areas

Perhaps because it is the world's longest undefended border, smuggling is endemic across the our northern frontier with Canada. Since a 5,525 mile border cannot be effectively patrolled on foot, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must rely on technology to detect and track smugglers. Radio tomographic imaging (RTI) is an emerging device-free passive (DfP) localization technology that could aid in this effort. RTI employs a dense network of RF sensors, each of which broadcasts probe messages and records received signal strength (RSS) data. As an object passes through the sensor field, RSS measurement changes are used to detect its presence and track its movement. In Phase I of the proposed program, TrellisWare will design both the sensor network and localization components of a complete personnel detection/tracking system. Our proposed program culminates with a live demonstration of the developed technology in a wooded environment running on existing sensor network hardware. In a potential Phase II follow-on program, TrellisWare would prototype sufficient hardware to enable larger-scale testing (e.g., a 1 km x 250 m forested area). By leveraging military sensor network products that already meets most mission requirements, TrellisWare can provide the Department of Homeland Security with the most "bang for the buck" in the development of a personnel detection and tracking sensor network to help secure our northern border.