RAPID: 6Fit-a-Part: A Device for Physical Distancing

RAPID：6Fit-a-Part：用于保持身体距离的设备

• 批准号: 2031868
• 负责人: Ashutosh Dhekne
• 金额: $ 10万
• 依托单位: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-06-01 至 2021-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2031868&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RAPID; 6Fit; Part; Device; Physical

This research proposes to create a custom wearable device that aids physical distancing by alerting the user when another similar device ventures too close. By warning people of potential safe-distance violations, this research aims at preventing the transmission of COVID-19 and reducing the risk of exposure at public places including grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals, warehouses, and mitigating public health concerns. The proposed device can be attached to clothing, be worn as an arm-band, or clamp to common objects, such as shopping carts, baskets, and luggage. Using wireless distance measurement technology, the proposed device constantly measures the distance from similar nearby devices, raising alarm if another one is detected in close-range. It would remain undeterred by signal blocking from the user's body, yet ignore devices in an adjoining room or neighboring aisle, since virus transmission across such barriers is unlikely. Existing wireless distance measuring technology on smartphones is unable to make this distinction, necessitating this research. This work analyzes wireless reflections and signal strength variations improving the reliability of distance measurements, and advancing the science of wireless sensing. This research hopes to provide the tools that will enable quicker restoration of normalcy while remaining cautious and avoiding new COVID-19 waves.This research creates a custom wearable device that determines its distance from all similar devices in the vicinity and warns users when safe distance is not maintained. The proposed device communicates using ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless signals allowing accurate distance estimation (ranging) in real-world multipath environments, which existing wireless technology on a smartphone cannot achieve. This work will have two core contributions: (i) a modified ranging protocol for peer-peer distance measurements, and (ii) an environment-sensing technique, performing a 3-way distinction between (a) direct line-of-sight measurements, (b) those across physical barriers (like walls), and (c) those affected by body-blocking of the signals. Modifications to existing ranging protocols are required since UWB distance measurements are based on multiple wireless packets exchanging precise timing information--a mechanism that can lead to severe wireless collisions when left uncoordinated. Environmental sensing is required to avoid false alarms. For example, false-positives (nuisance-alarms) may occur when two devices are close-by but separated by a wall. Contrarily, false negatives can occur when a person's own body blocks wireless signals causing erroneous distance measurements. These contributions are expected to advance knowledge in wireless sensing and multi-device ranging, while enabling safer public places through improved implementation of physical distancing, with impact even beyond COVID-19.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这项研究建议创造一种定制的可穿戴设备，当另一个类似的设备冒险靠近时，它会提醒用户，以帮助保持物理距离。通过警告人们可能违反安全距离，本研究旨在预防COVID-19的传播，减少在杂货店、药店、医院、仓库等公共场所暴露的风险，并减轻公众健康担忧。该装置可以附着在衣服上，作为臂带佩戴，或夹在常见物体上，如购物车、篮子和行李。该设备采用无线距离测量技术，不断测量与附近类似设备的距离，如果在近距离内发现另一个设备，则会发出警报。它不会受到来自用户身体的信号阻塞的影响，但会忽略相邻房间或相邻通道中的设备，因为病毒不太可能跨越这些屏障传播。现有的智能手机无线距离测量技术无法做到这一点，因此有必要进行这项研究。这项工作分析了无线反射和信号强度变化，提高了距离测量的可靠性，并推进了无线传感科学。这项研究希望提供能够在保持谨慎和避免新的COVID-19浪潮的同时更快恢复正常的工具。本研究创建了一种定制的可穿戴设备，该设备可以确定其与附近所有类似设备的距离，并在未保持安全距离时警告用户。所提出的设备使用超宽带（UWB）无线信号进行通信，允许在真实的多路径环境中进行精确的距离估计（测距），这是现有智能手机上的无线技术无法实现的。这项工作将有两个核心贡献：(i)修改对等距离测量的测距协议，以及（ii）环境传感技术，在(a)直接视线测量，(b)跨越物理障碍（如墙壁）的测量和(c)受信号遮挡影响的测量之间进行三向区分。由于超宽带距离测量是基于多个无线数据包交换精确的定时信息，因此需要对现有的测距协议进行修改，这种机制在不协调的情况下可能导致严重的无线碰撞。需要环境感知来避免误报。例如，当两个设备靠得很近但被一堵墙隔开时，可能会出现误报（滋扰警报）。相反，当一个人的身体阻挡了无线信号，导致错误的距离测量时，就会出现假阴性。预计这些贡献将促进无线传感和多设备测距方面的知识，同时通过改进物理距离的实施，使公共场所更加安全，其影响甚至超出了COVID-19。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

ITrackU: tracking a pen-like instrument via UWB-IMU fusion

• DOI: 10.1145/3458864.3467885
• 发表时间: 2021-06
• 期刊: Proceedings of the 19th Annual International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications, and Services
• 作者: Yifeng Cao;Ashutosh Dhekne;M. Ammar

6Fit-A-Part: A Protocol for Physical Distancing on a Custom Wearable Device

• DOI: 10.1109/icnp49622.2020.9259374
• 发表时间: 2020-10
• 期刊: 2020 IEEE 28th International Conference on Network Protocols (ICNP)
• 作者: Yifeng Cao;Ashutosh Dhekne;M. Ammar

Physical Games in K-12 despite COVID-19

尽管存在新冠肺炎 (COVID-19) 疫情，K-12 仍开展体育运动

• DOI: 10.1145/3446382.3448669
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: HotMobile '21: Proceedings of the 22nd International Workshop on Mobile Computing Systems and Applications
• 作者: Cao, Yifeng;Dhekne, Ashutosh;Ammar, Mostafa
• 通讯作者: Ammar, Mostafa