Position and movement sensing at metre standoff distances using ambient electric field

We describe a system for the measurement of changes in electric field which occur as a result of the movement of people, or objects, in ambient electric fields with standoff distances of several metres. A passive sensor system is used to measure the changes in electric field which are due to several different mechanisms. From this we are able to extract presence, movement and position information with a positional accuracy of ∼10 cm. Furthermore, by examining the disturbances in ambient ac fields, such as those created by domestic electricity networks, we show that it is possible to recover static field information with a sensor that lacks dc sensitivity. In this way, we demonstrate that tracking of individuals within large room-scale spaces is possible. As a simple, passive, undetectable technique, with no line of sight requirement, these measurements open up new possibilities in security, telehealth and human computer interfacing applications.