In this paper we present an experimental framework to gather data on face-to-face social interactions between individuals, with a high spatial and temporal resolution. We use active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices that assess contacts with one another by exchanging low-power radio packets. When individuals wear the beacons as a badge, a persistent radio contact between the RFID devices can be used as a proxy for a social interaction between individuals. We present the results of a pilot study recently performed during a conference, and a subsequent preliminary data analysis, that provides an assessment of our method and highlights its versatility and applicability in many areas concerned with human dynamics.
@article{arxiv.0811.4170,
title = {High resolution dynamical mapping of social interactions with active RFID},
author = {Alain Barrat and Ciro Cattuto and Vittoria Colizza and Jean-Francois Pinton and Wouter Van den Broeck and Alessandro Vespignani},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0811.4170},
year = {2010}
}