computer science

Human sensing

Human sensing is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Human sensing rather than just read about it. In short: Human sensing (also called human detection or human presence detection) encompasses a range of technologies for detecting the presence of a human body in an area of space, typically without the intentional participation of the detected person. Common applications include search and rescue, surveillance, and customer analytics (for example, people counters).

Key takeaways

Human sensing belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Human sensing to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Human sensing from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Human sensing (also called human detection or human presence detection) encompasses a range of technologies for detecting the presence of a human body in an area of space, typically without the intentional participation of the detected person. Common applications include search and rescue, surveillance, and customer analytics (for example, people counters). Modern technologies proposed or deployed for human sensing include:

Acoustic sensors Image recognition of human shapes Infrared detectors Pressure-sensitive floor tiles Radar Chemical sensors Detection of the mobile phone, computer, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi signals of a device assumed to be in the possession of a person. WiFi Sensing

Examples In 1997 CAPTCHA ("Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart") was invented. A test is presented to detect that a computer is being used by a human operator, preventing access to a protected resource by programs such as spam robots. Various commercial heartbeat detection systems employ a set of vibration or seismic sensors to detect the presence of a person inside a vehicle or container by sensing vibrations caused by the human heartbeat. Another commercial product uses infrared light to detect the level of carbon dioxide in an enclosed space, from which it infers the presence of humans or other living creatures. In September 2013, the United States Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate demonstrated a prototype of the FINDER radar technology device, which it developed in conjunction with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. FINDER uses microwave radar to detect the unique signature of a human's breathing pattern and heartbeat, through 20 feet of solid concrete, 30 feet of a crushed mixture of concrete and rebar, and 100 feet of open space. In September 2014, the DHS promoted the technology to SWAT teams at the Urban Shield trade show. In 2019, waste management company Total Waste Solutions developed a device to help protect homeless people who seek shelter inside industrial bins from harm.

See also Presence detection devices like a Light curtain

References

External links Remote human presence detection system Tam, Daniel et al. Assignee:The United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy .

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Human sensing

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Human sensing claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Human sensing before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Human sensing ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Human sensing

In research: Human sensing appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Human sensing in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Human sensing is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Disaster management tools, Human–computer interaction, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Human sensing outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Human sensing in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Human sensing means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Human sensing out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Human sensing in simple terms?

Why does Human sensing matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Human sensing?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Human sensing.