All articles tagged with #beamforming
German researchers demonstrated that ordinary WiFi signals can identify people with near-perfect accuracy by analyzing how radio waves reflect off their bodies using beamforming feedback information, even if the person isn’t carrying a device or has their phone off. The finding raises serious privacy concerns, suggesting routers could serve as covert surveillance tools; experts urge safeguards in the upcoming IEEE 802.11bf standard.
A Dartmouth study showed curved, precision-shaped aluminum reflectors can steer Wi‑Fi and boost signal in a specific direction by up to about 50%, but DIY foil behind a router yields smaller gains (roughly 10–20%) and concentrates existing power rather than increasing total output. It can cause overheating and is not a substitute for proper router placement, extenders, or mesh systems; regulatory limits mean this is a temporary, directional tweak rather than a fix-all.
KIT researchers show that ordinary WiFi traffic can be analyzed to reconstruct camera‑like images and identify people without anyone carrying a device, achieving near‑perfect accuracy in their study and raising privacy concerns that call for stronger protections in the IEEE 802.11bf standard.