PnPSelect: Plug-and-play IoT Device Selection Using Ultra-wideband Signals

TL;DR

This paper introduces PnPSelect, a plug-and-play IoT device selection system using UWB signals that enables intuitive device control without additional hardware, improving ease of use and deployment in smart homes.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel UWB-based device selection method that does not require dedicated hardware on IoT devices, enabling true plug-and-play functionality with simple pointing gestures.

Findings

High accuracy in device pointing direction estimation

Robust device localization with minimal user effort

Effective implementation on commercial smartphones and smartwatches

Abstract

In recent years, the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in smart homes has rapidly increased. A key challenge affecting user experience is how to enable users to efficiently and intuitively select the devices they wish to control. This paper proposes PnPSelect, a plug-and-play IoT device selection solution utilizing Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology on commercial devices. Unlike previous works, PnPSelect does not require the installation of dedicated hardware on each IoT device, thereby reducing deployment costs and complexities, and achieving true plug-and-play functionality. To enable intuitive device selection, we introduce a pointing direction estimation method that utilizes UWB readings from a single anchor to infer the user pointing direction. Additionally, we propose a lightweight device localization method that allows users to register new IoT devices by simply pointing at them from two distinct positions, eliminating the need for manual measurements. We implement PnPSelect on commercial smartphones and smartwatches and conduct extensive evaluations in both controlled laboratory settings and real-world environments. Our results demonstrate high accuracy, robustness, and adaptability, making PnPSelect a practical and scalable solution for next-generation smart home interactions.