Fast Full-Wave Simulation of Indoor RSS Maps for Pre-Measurement Validation in Device-Free Localization

TL;DR

This paper presents a fast full-wave electromagnetic simulation method to generate indoor RSS maps, aiding in the validation and design of device-free localization systems without extensive measurements.

Contribution

It introduces a compact EM simulation approach that efficiently produces indoor propagation maps, reducing reliance on costly measurement campaigns and improving pre-measurement validation.

Findings

Simulations accurately reproduce main spatial features of RSS maps.

Discrepancies are identified due to simplified material modeling.

Diffraction-aware refinements improve simulation accuracy.

Abstract

Human localization is gaining momentum in security, healthcare, logistics, and smart spaces applications. While global navigation systems are unreliable indoor, device-free (a.k.a. passive) localization methods that exploit human-induced perturbations of radio propagation can be effectively used. This paper investigates the use of a compact full-wave electromagnetic (EM) setup as a fast and reliable tool to simulate indoor Wi-Fi propagation for human sensing. The goal is to provide a practical baseline for validating simplified propagation models, such as diffraction-based descriptions, and to reduce the need for costly measurement campaigns. Two-dimensional attenuation maps from received signal strength are generated and compared in controlled environments, focusing on attenuation statistics and interference patterns. The simulations reproduce the main spatial features, though discrepancies remain due to simplified material characterization. Diffraction-aware refinements are proposed to mitigate these effects. Overall, the approach provides an efficient pre-measurement reference to support device-free system design and to guide experimental planning.