Okay, so I’ve been diving into this whole “movement tracking technology” thing for retail stores. It’s kinda cool, kinda creepy, depending on how you look at it. But mostly, I was just curious about how it all works.
I started by, well, Googling. Lots and lots of Googling. Found a bunch of companies offering these services, and it seemed like there were a few main ways they did it:
- Wi-Fi Tracking: Using the Wi-Fi signals from people’s phones to see where they go in the store.
- Bluetooth Beacons: Little devices that send out Bluetooth signals, and phones pick them up, kinda like a breadcrumb trail.
- Cameras and Computer Vision: Basically, using cameras and some fancy software to “see” where people are and track their movements.
I decided to try the Wi-Fi tracking route first because it seemed like the easiest to mess around with. I mean, I already have a Wi-Fi router, right?
The Wi-Fi Experiment
First thing I tried,I just watched the connected device list on the WiFi management webpage, but the phone name can not be tracked to real person. and it only shows the devices currently connected to Wi-Fi.
Then I messed around with some open-source Wi-Fi sniffing tools. These tools can “listen” for Wi-Fi signals even from phones that aren’t connected to your network. I could see the unique ID (MAC address) of each phone, and I could sort of track when those IDs showed up and disappeared.
The problem? It was messy. Super messy. I could see a bunch of devices, but I had no idea where they were in my “store” (aka, my apartment). Plus, it felt a little… invasive. I mean, I was basically seeing everyone’s phone ID who walked by my place.
The (Slightly) More Sophisticated Approach
So, I realized I needed a way to map these signals to actual locations. I found some software that claimed to do this, but it was mostly for businesses and way too expensive. Then it hit me: I could probably use multiple Wi-Fi routers (or access points) and triangulate the signal strength.
Think of it like this: If a phone is close to Router A, the signal will be strong. If it’s far from Router B, the signal will be weak. By comparing the signal strength from multiple routers, you can estimate where the phone is.
I grabbed an old router I had lying around, set it up as a second access point, and started playing with the signal strength readings. It… kinda worked. I could get a general idea of where my phone was, but it was far from precise. Like, “in this room” accurate, not “standing in front of this specific shelf” accurate.
The Camera Conundrum
I haven’t tried the camera route yet. It feels like a whole other level of complexity. Plus, I’m not sure I have the processing power (or the coding skills) to handle that kind of computer vision stuff. I’m also a bit wary of the privacy implications. It’s one thing to track anonymous Wi-Fi signals, but another to actually watch people with cameras.
The Takeaway (So Far)
This whole movement tracking thing is more complicated than I thought! It’s definitely doable, but getting really accurate, real-time tracking is tough. And it raises some serious questions about privacy. I’m still figuring it all out, but it’s been a fun (and sometimes frustrating) learning experience.
For now, I’ll stick with the slightly-janky-but-mostly-functional multi-router setup. It’s enough to satisfy my curiosity, and it doesn’t feel too creepy. Maybe I’ll try messing with Bluetooth beacons next… we’ll see.