Empowering the blind: contactless activity recognition with commodity software-defined radio and ultra-high-frequency radio frequency identification

Muhammad Zakir Khan, Turke Althobaiti, Muhannad Almutiry, Naeem Ramzan*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

This study presents a novel computational radio frequency identification (RFID) system designed specifically for assisting blind individuals, utilising software-defined radio (SDR) with coherent detection. The system employs battery-less ultra-high-frequency (UHF) tag arrays in Gen2 RFID systems, enhancing the transmission of sensed information beyond standard identification bits. Our method uses an SDR reader to efficiently manage multiple tags with Gen2 preambles implemented on a single transceiver card. The results highlight the system’s real-time capability to detect movements and direction of walking within a four-meter range, indicating significant advances in contactless activity monitoring. This system not only handles the complexities of multiple tag scenarios but also delineates the influence of system parameters on RFID operational efficiency. This study contributes to assistive technology, provides a platform for future advancements aimed at addressing contemporary limitations in pseudo-localisation, and offers a practical, affordable assistance system for blind individuals.
Original languageEnglish
Article number3645
Number of pages12
JournalSensors
Volume24
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Jun 2024

Keywords

  • contactless activity monitoring
  • SDR-RFID
  • blind
  • visual impairment

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