Platypus system from Microsoft Research can identify humans from their electrical fields

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Published onJune 2, 2016

published onJune 2, 2016

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From asmart tattootoswim training technology,and even looking atDNA to store data, Microsoft Research is always busy coming up with new technological advancements. Today, we’ve come acrossyet another Microsoft Research project(viaNeowin), and this time, it involves identifying humans from their electrical fields.

In a full 14 page document, Microsoft Research describes the Platypus system as the first system to, “localize and identify people by remotely and passively sensing changes in their body electric potential which occur naturally during walking.” The document also describes that the system involves using uses three or more electric potential sensors (seen below) with a maximum range of 2 m. This means that Platypus is a passive tag free system that does not require any special hardware such as a smartphone, smartwatch, or other wearable devices.

The Microsoft Research team managed to use Platypus to locate a human in the room within an accuracy of 0.5 feet. Based on short walking sequences of 5 s, they were also able to identify four users of Platypus within the accuracy of 94 %, and 30 users with an accuracy of 75 %.

Despite these results, at the end of the document detailing the system, Microsoft Research notes that Platypus has some limitations. These include the need for person-specific sensor calibration that is independent of the user’s height/weight/clothing, as well as the presence or absence of grounded electrical objects in the environment.

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time).

For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web.

Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they’re looking for.

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Radu Tyrsina

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Platypus system from Microsoft Research can identify humans from their electrical fields