EchoLoc: Accurate Device-Free Hand Localization Using COTS Devices

Abstract

Hand tracking systems are becoming increasingly popular as a fundamental HCI approach. The trajectory of moving hand can be estimated through smoothing the position coordinates collected from continuous localization. Therefore, hand localization is a key component of any hand tracking systems. This paper presents EchoLoc, which locates the human hand by leveraging the speaker array in Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) devices (i.e., a smart phone plugged with a stereo speaker). EchoLoc measures the distance from the hand to the speaker array via the Time Of Flight (TOF) of the chirp. The speaker array and hand yield a unique triangle, therefore, the hand can be localized with triangular geometry. We prototype EchoLoc on iOS as an application, and find it is capable of localization with the average resolution within five centimeters of 73% and three centimeters of 48%.