High resolution, low cost, privacy preserving human motion tracking system via passive thermal sensing

[摘要] Thermal imaging is powerful but expensive. This thesis presents an alternative thermal sensing system capable of tracking human motion by using a novel projection mechanism from an array of inexpensive single-bit thermal sensors. Since thermal sensor performance is currently limited by lengthy refractory periods, the motion tracking system is further developed in the visible spectrum to demonstrate a proof of concept. A single array of sensors is coupled with Gray-coded binary masks to spatially divide a room, allowing for the tracking of a moving persons location. By analyzing the output over time, a motion flow map is rendered and displayed in a software graphical user interface. The software is also capable of preliminary two-person motion tracking schemes. This overall system provides a low-cost alternative for privacy preserving activity monitoring, and generating alerts based on data anomalies, such as a break in motion pattern or an unusually low level of overall activity. Future hardware and software advancements will allow a full-scale motion tracking system to be developed.

[发布机构] Massachusetts Institute of Technology