Robust speed measurements with standard wireless devices

Abstract

Speed measurements are crucial for controlling traffic and in supporting automation of industrial processes. The speed of moving objects is typically measured from a stationary position using time-of-flight or the Doppler effect. Existing approaches require either relatively bulky physical devices or complex signal processing. The authors propose a new method for measuring the speed of (metal) objects moving on a fixed track. The authors' method is applicable, e.g. to cars on a road, trains on rails, or goods sliding on a conveyor belt. The method relies on the constructive and destructive interference patterns created by the reflections from the moving target. Speed is determined by measuring the signal strength of received messages as perceived by standard wireless devices. The method requires only minimal signal processing and only two commodity wireless transceivers, which are independent of the moving target. The advantages of their system compared to other technologies are reduced size, reduced cost, and in some scenarios robustness.