[HN Gopher] Espargos: ESP32-based WiFi sensing array
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Espargos: ESP32-based WiFi sensing array
Author : leoedin
Score : 119 points
Date : 2025-02-17 13:54 UTC (9 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (espargos.net)
(TXT) w3m dump (espargos.net)
| leoedin wrote:
| This project uses an array of ESP32s and some clever calibration
| techniques to do pretty accurate localisation of WiFi signals.
|
| There's an excellent companion video here:
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXwDrcd1t-E
| Ecco wrote:
| Very cool! Website bug report (hoping somebody sees that): on my
| phone (iPhone latest iOS) the videos would automatically play in
| full screen when scrolling the page. Really annoying :)
| saaaaaam wrote:
| Same for me. Though I just assumed it was some sort of annoying
| "feature".
| Jeija wrote:
| Oops, never tested the website on Safari / iOS. I will look
| into this at some point, opened a GitHub issue for myself so
| that I will remember:
| https://github.com/ESPARGOS/espargos.github.io/issues/1
| tonetegeatinst wrote:
| Is this locked to WiFi spectrum, or could the antennas be swappen
| for whatever frequency band you want to target?
|
| Say starlink frequency for tracking or The NOAA satellites?
| gfkclzhzo wrote:
| ESP32 will be just 2.4ghz, and the bandwidth of the antennas
| will also limit.
|
| Totally doable to make a wideband version with different
| hardware. This is called a phased array, which is common in
| radar applications (e.g. Aegis cruisers).
| leptons wrote:
| Espressif has a new dual-band chip that does 2.4ghz and 5ghz
| wifi. That isn't the subject of this article, but ESP32 is
| gaining some new wifi capabilities.
| Jeija wrote:
| I'm currently experimenting with ESP32-C5 engineering
| samples provided by Espressif, so hopefully some future
| ESPARGOS revision will be 5GHz-capable :)
|
| But yeah, as far as I can tell, the chip can only extract
| CSI from WiFi (unless there is some hidden raw I/Q sample
| debug mode or something).
| ipdashc wrote:
| This project is amazing! I know there's some prior art,
| but I feel like I've never seen anything wifi-related
| moving so... smoothly? (With that high of an
| update/sample rate, I guess?) as your visualizations do.
|
| I do have one question that wasn't quite clear to me, in
| case you happen to see this. There's a bunch of mentions
| of Channel State Information, but Google doesn't give a
| ton of info on it. So I'm just wondering, is CSI a
| "client-side" thing provided by the ESP32 for any Wi-Fi
| connection, or is it some special protocol feature that
| the AP or client have to enable?
| SEJeff wrote:
| I'd note that Xandem while a total flop commercially, does own
| patents on tomographic motion detection.
|
| It's a shame honestly, it was a really cool product.
| ChrisArchitect wrote:
| Earlier video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXwDrcd1t-E
|
| (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43062982)
| slicktux wrote:
| Hmm, seems like I'll be able to replace my cantenna with this to
| find malicious IoT devices spamming the airwaves with DeAuth
| attacks...! Imagine being able to catch crooks using Flipper
| Zeros to defeat wireless cameras...can track them in real time ;)
| MisterTea wrote:
| > Imagine being able to catch crooks using Flipper Zeros to
| defeat wireless cameras...can track them in real time ;)
|
| One of the reasons I run Ethernet to everything.
|
| Also, I assume you work in security if you deal deal with
| malicious WiFi devices and sophisticated crooks?
| adfm wrote:
| +1 for cantenna reference.
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