For as far back as a few Android releases, Google has been working with local discovery technologies that applications can exploit to discover close by objects and users. Its latest contribution is the Google Play release of a “WifiNanScan App” for developers to try different things with Wi-Fi Aware.
Wi-Fi Aware — otherwise called Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) — permits Android 8.0+ gadgets to “discover and connect directly to each other without any other type of connectivity between them,” like a active internet connection. The APIs work to find close by gadgets and make network connections that can “share large amounts of data” or send short messages.
Google says this technology supports “higher throughput rates across longer distances than Bluetooth connections.” Possible use cases promoted by the Wi-Fi Alliance include:
- Securely send an document to a printer without first logging onto the network
- View a restaurant menu and make a reservation while walking by without a internet connection, in any event, when the eatery is shut
- Automate and timestamp school check-ins and roll-call
- Streamline airport security, customs, and immigration processing flows utilizing mobile identification (ID) like a driver’s license or passport without expecting travelers to introduce an physical ID
Recently, Developed with Google released the WifiNanScan App (Play Store) to exhibit how you can utilize NAN to get the distance between two devices:
With this application it is feasible to get a distance measurement with an precision of around 1 meter with telephones up to 15 meters apart. Engineers, OEMs and analysts can utilize this tool to validate distance/range measurements enabling the development of peer-to-peer ranging and data transfer, discover my telephone and setting mindful applications dependent on the WiFi Aware/NAN API.
It supplements the WifiRttScan App released two years prior to utilize Wi-Fi Round Trip Time for indoor positioning as an option in alternative to GPS.
In Android 12, Google made a few enhancements to Wi-Fi Aware, including efficiency improvements and addressing lost connections.