Enabling Low Cost Human Presence Tracking: Using commodity hardware to monitor human presence in workplaces

Finding automated methods to track the presence of hu- mans can help designers understand workplaces. Methods to under- stand the patterns of human movement in workplaces using beacons, badges and sensors are being developed. Whilst the results are promis- ing, they can be costly and may require the manual setup of expensive equipment. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is widely adopted due to its high degree of accuracy, however, is inapplicable in indoor environments due to the physical limitations of satellite attenuation. There is no comparably ubiquitous positioning system that can be used to make device-driven position tracking that is specifically adapted to indoor environments. With the increasing popularity of phones, watches and fitness tracking bands with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, we explore the potential of these wireless radios as a low-cost alternative to monitor human movement. As the costs of technology continue to decrease, the means to build a low-cost tracker through WiFi and Bluetooth enabled devices in an indoor environment become possible. Furthermore, is it possible to develop a low-cost tracking device using only commodity hardware that is able to accu- rately automate and record presence in space with sufficient veracity?