The robot vacuum cleaner’s navigation system turned out to be easy to turn into a listening device
A robot vacuum cleaner is not only convenient but also, as it turned out, insecure in terms of privacy. Without built-in microphones, these “smart” home appliances can, without arousing suspicion among the owners, record conversations and other audio information in the room and then transfer it to third parties.
Scientists from the University of Maryland (USA) have experimentally confirmed that a laser navigation system, with the help of which a robot vacuum cleaner orients itself in space and does not bump into furniture and other obstacles, can act as a microphone.
Laser microphones have been around since the 1940s. Their principle of operation is that sound waves make nearby objects vibrate. Corresponding changes occur in the laser signal reflected from these objects. If you pass the signal through a certain software algorithm based on artificial intelligence, you can get a sound recording with an accuracy of 90%, which was carried out during the experiment. With the help of this algorithm, it was possible to “eavesdrop” not only on the human voice but also on the music from the television program.
Given that many modern robotic vacuum cleaners have Internet access for remote control, it is easy to assume that hacking them remotely will not be difficult. In addition to sound information, the device can transmit data about the area of a house or apartment, the size of furniture items. This information can be used, for example, for advertising purposes. Best case scenario.