IEEE 802.11bf: Toward Ubiquitous Wi-Fi Sensing

TL;DR

This paper discusses the development of IEEE 802.11bf, a Wi-Fi standard extension aimed at enabling advanced sensing applications like human detection and activity recognition through modifications to existing Wi-Fi protocols.

Contribution

It provides an overview of the ongoing efforts by the IEEE 802.11bf Task Group to define standard modifications for Wi-Fi sensing capabilities and outlines future research challenges.

Findings

Summarizes objectives and timeline of IEEE 802.11bf

Discusses key technical features proposed for Wi-Fi sensing

Provides a research roadmap for Wi-Fi sensing integration

Abstract

Wi-Fi is among the most successful wireless technologies ever invented. As Wi-Fi becomes more and more present in public and private spaces, it becomes natural to leverage its ubiquitousness to implement groundbreaking wireless sensing applications such as human presence detection, activity recognition, and object tracking, just to name a few. This paper reports ongoing efforts by the IEEE 802.11bf Task Group (TGbf), which is defining the appropriate modifications to existing Wi-Fi standards to enhance sensing capabilities through 802.11-compliant waveforms. We summarize objectives and timeline of TGbf, and discuss some of the most interesting proposed technical features discussed so far. We also introduce a roadmap of research challenges pertaining to Wi-Fi sensing and its integration with future Wi-Fi technologies and emerging spectrum bands, hoping to elicit further activities by both the research community and TGbf.