QuadRF can spot drones and see WiFi through my wall(jeffgeerling.com)
606 points by speckx 19 hours ago | 201 comments
tl;dr: QuadRF is an open-source handheld phased-array SDR (4.9-6 GHz) built on a Raspberry Pi 5 and FPGA, streaming I/Q data over the Pi's MIPI lanes at 5+ Gbps. In hands-on testing it successfully visualized WiFi networks through walls and tracked a DJI drone in flight via an AR overlay, though the UI is still rough. It's a scaled-down piece of a larger project aiming to chain modules for Earth-Moon-Earth radio experiments, currently crowdfunding on Crowd Supply starting at $499.
HN Discussion:
  • Creator engages with community, offers demos and acknowledges UI improvements
  • Excited about potential applications like smart glasses integration or acoustic analogs
  • Sees valuable defense applications for drone detection amid current conflicts
  • Interested in practical uses like EMC testing, hidden camera detection, or RF surveillance discovery
  • Concerns about government surveillance capabilities implied by such technology