In the latest Android releases, Google has been working on local discovery technologies that applications can take advantage of to locate nearby objects and users. His most recent contribution is the launch of the “WifiNanScan App” on Google Play for developers to try Wi-Fi Aware.
Wi-Fi Aware – also known as Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) – allows Android 8.0+ devices to “discover and connect directly with each other, without any other type of connectivity between them”, such as an active Internet connection. APIs work to discover nearby devices and create network connections that can “share large amounts of data” or send short messages.
Google says that this technology supports “higher transfer rates over longer distances than Bluetooth connections”. Possible use cases promoted by the Wi-Fi Alliance include:
- Securely send a document to a printer without first logging on to the network
- View a restaurant’s menu and make a reservation while walking without an Internet connection, even when the restaurant is closed
- Automate and schedule check-ins and school call lists
- Simplify airport security, customs and immigration processing flows using mobile identification (ID), such as a driver’s license or passport, without requiring travelers to present a physical identity
Earlier this week, Developed with Google launched the WifiNanScan (Play Store) app to demonstrate how you can use NAN to get the distance between two devices:
With this application it is possible to obtain a distance measurement with an accuracy of about 1 meter with phones up to 15 meters away. Developers, OEMs and researchers can use this tool to validate distance / range measurements allowing the development of point-to-point reach and data transfer, find my phone and context-sensitive applications based on the WiFi Aware / NAN API.
It complements the WifiRttScan app launched two years ago to use Wi-Fi Round Trip Time for internal positioning as an alternative to GPS.
On Android 12, Google made some improvements to Wi-Fi Aware, including efficiency improvements and addressing missed connections.
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