For decades, physical security has relied on a familiar set of sensors: cameras, access control systems, infrared detectors and radar. These technologies have evolved significantly, but the core sensing model has remained largely unchanged: security systems observe environments visually or through dedicated hardware. However, a new sensing layer is now beginning to move from research labs into real-world deployment: wireless signal-based sensing using existing RF Infrastructure (WiFi, BLE, LTE, 5G).
Spatial intelligence company Inturai recently expanded its wireless sensing capabilities and has begun pilot deployments across defence, enterprise security and assisted living environments. The pilots reflect growing interest in non-visual sensing technologies that complement traditional surveillance systems and help close long-standing visibility gaps.
Rather than capturing images or audio, the platform analyses subtle disruptions in ambient wireless signals to infer human presence, movement patterns and physiological activity such as breathing, heart rate and sleep patterns. Because the approach leverages existing connectivity infrastructure, it does not require cameras, wearable devices or complex hardware installations.
“Security leaders are starting to recognise that cameras alone cannot provide full environmental awareness,” said Ed Clarke, CEO of Inturai. “Wireless sensing introduces a complementary layer that can operate where cameras are limited, whether due to privacy, visibility or infrastructure constraints.”
Inturai continues to pursue patent filings and related intellectual property protections to secure its protected technologies, reinforce long-term defensibility and support disciplined commercial deployment across healthcare, defence and security sectors.
The security industry has been steadily shifting from passive observation toward proactive and predictive protection. Wireless sensing extends this transition by introducing a new type of data source into the security stack.
Recent advances in deep learning and signal processing have pushed wireless sensing from experimental research toward operational readiness. Academic studies from Cornell University have demonstrated over 97% accuracy in multi-room human presence detection using commercial Wifi access points, marking a major milestone for device-free sensing.
Unlike cameras, wireless signals are unaffected by lighting conditions and can penetrate walls and obstacles. This allows detection in darkness, smoke and visually obstructed environments – scenarios that have traditionally challenged video-based systems.
Early pilot deployments are exploring use cases across multiple sectors and rather than replacing video surveillance, the technology is increasingly being viewed as an additional data layer that enhances situational awareness and reduces blind spots.
According to Inturai, recent developments across the industry suggest wireless sensing is moving quickly toward mainstream adoption. For example, ADT recently acquired sensing pioneer Origin Wireless in a $170 million deal aimed at bringing context-aware sensing into commercial security systems. At the same time, the finalisation of IEEE 802.11bf Wifi sensing standard in September 2025 marks a transformative shift integrating sensing into Wifi networks.
Together, these milestones signal a broader shift: connectivity infrastructure is becoming sensing infrastructure. As physical security systems evolve into integrated cyber-physical platforms, organisations are increasingly seeking new data sources that enhance context, reduce false alarms and expand detection capabilities.
With standards development, major acquisitions and early pilot deployments now underway, wireless sensing appears poised to become one of the most closely watched emerging technologies in the global physical security market.
