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UWB Technology

Intro

UWB in iPhone 11, Apple Watch 6 and Against COVID-19: Everything You Need to Know About the Technology

With the integration of ultra-wideband sensors (UWB) in the new iPhone, Apple provided a popularity boost for UWB. The fact that such a sensor is now also integrated in the new Apple Watch 6 shows how much the tech giant expects from the technology. Not without reason UWB is also used in the fight against the COVID-19 virus. But what exactly are the advantages? Who is UWB interesting for? And how does ultra-wideband actually work? An overview.

What Is Ultra-Wideband Technology (UWB)?

Ultra-wideband or “UWB” is a radio-based communication technology for short-range use for the fast and stable transmission of data indoors and outdoors.

The History of UWB in a Flash

01 1

02 2

03 3

04 4

05 5

internet of things, symbol of IT industry

A Trend With History

UWB technology has been in the Apple iPhone since 2019, followed by the new Samsung smartphones in 2020 — according to experts. And car manufacturers like VW and BMW are working on UWB-based features, too. A trend? Maybe. A brief one? Not likely, if you take a look its interesting history…

Getting started

The first attempts to transmit messages wirelessly were made over 100 years ago. In 1900 Nikola Tesla came up with the idea of using electromagnetic waves to locate moving objects

Premiere

The first successful practical application went back to a German engineer: With Christian Hülsmeyer’s invention of the “telemobiloscope” it was possible to measure the distance between ships and coasts. To date, UWB technology is used for localization.

Establishment

With Bluetooth, GPS, RFID and others, other location technologies have been added. But each has its own advantages and disadvantages. So far, in terms of accuracy and speed, UWB is the most reliable localization technology. So, it’s no wonder that it is finding its way into the world — and not just in smartphones.

Future

With the opportunity to position accurately and securely, UWB is a basic technology on our way to the Internet of Things (IoT). Mobile things not only have to be digitally networked; their live location must also be known. Especially in sensitive applications, the IoT without UWB is unthinkable — at least for the time being.

The Most Important Fields of Application for UWB Technology

Thanks to its high precision, transmission speed and reliability, UWB technology is predestined for the localization of objects and people who move quickly on a small-scale and complex environments and processes.

Ultra-Wideband Manufacturing with Assets

Industries

Ultra-wideband is considered a key technology in the digitization of production and logistics. Because thanks to it, not only stationary “things” can be recorded, but also all mobile ones. This is the only way to seamlessly digitize shop floors, warehouses and process chains.

Optimization of the internal material flow
Navigation of autonomous transport vehicles
Control of tools in the automotive industry
Data basis for modern IoT platforms and process analysis tools
Protection of employee safety & process stability
and much more…

Entertainment

Action-packed shows are also digitized and automated via UWB. Because special effects are not only higher, louder and more glaring, but above all, faster. You can hardly keep up with it manually. Show special effects are therefore controlled on the screen with real-time tracking.

Immersive audio
Pyro effects control
Lighting control
Camera control
VR / AR experiences
Media installations
and much more…

Sports

In team and extreme sports, the demands on performance and movement data are particularly high. In order to get ultra-fast and precise values despite the contorted halls, small playing fields, many athletes and additional network technologies, professionals rely on UWB

Real-time team and individual statistics
Real-time team and individual statistics for coaches, media and fans
Real-time tactical analysis
Live distance warning for employees in times of COVID-19
and much more…

Other Innovative Fields of Application for UWB Technology

Even if ultra-wideband (UWB) is anything but in its infancy, the potential of the technology is far from being exhausted. The fact that Apple has integrated UWB sensors in its new iPhone but has not yet used them for the launch is just one example…

Retail

Where are shopping trolleys located? Where and for how long do customers stay? Questions like these, help improve the shopping experience. Localization and data analysis via UWB provide the answers and open up new ways of marketing.

Medicine & Care

Keeping the location and status of people in need of long-term care under control is also a task that can be automated with UWB — whether in intensive care units, emergency rooms or at home.

Smart Home

From the location of lost keys to the automatic unlocking and locking of doors and smart access restrictions for pets — there are many possible uses of UWB in the smart home area.

Current News About UWB

Here we keep you up to date on the latest UWB innovations and trends.

01 COVID-19

02 Apple Watch 6

03 Apple Patent

04 US Sports

05 Samsung Galaxy S20

Digital ultra broadband solution in the fight against COVID-19

Digital solution for the fight against COVID-19

Keeping distance and securing the operation of companies is one of the biggest challenges in 2020. UWB technology is used to implement particularly precise, efficent and data protection-compliant digital solutions.

Learn more

Now also in smart watches: UWB chips

Now that UWB sensors have become the new standard in modern smartphones, other smart devices are following suit. The Apple Watch 6, launched in September, is now the first smart watch with such a sensor.

Keyless Thanks to UWB?

An Apple patent discloses how the car key could soon be a thing of the past: thanks to UWB localization, it could be sufficient to approach it with your own smartphone.

College Basketball on the Trail of the NBA

The NBA has been relying on UWB-based real-time athlete tracking for years. Over 70% of the associations work together with KINEXON. Now more and more college clubs are following suit.

Galaxy S20 with UWB, too?

Even one of the upcoming Samsung smartphones is said to contain UWB technology. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but Samsung’s wide range of smart home gadgets would enable countless applications.

Why Is UWB Better Than Comparable Localization Technologies?

Ultra broadband tracking technology comparison

Even in contorted halls and rooms where different wireless connection technologies overlap, objects can be tracked live and in all directions.

Ultra-wideband is therefore one of the key technologies for particularly demanding application areas such as the Internet of Things (IoT). Thanks to UWB, it is not only possible to digitize and automate stationary machines with stable connections, but also all mobile “things”.

Technical Specifications

UWB is a wireless technology that, despite its long history, can be viewed as new. Unlike other technologies, it is not tied to any frequency. In addition, UWB can transmit data over an extremely wide frequency spectrum.

Unused frequency capacities can therefore be used ideally. The UWB frequency range is at least 500 MHz. For comparison: WLAN channels are only about a tenth as wide.

Facts & Figures

- Usable frequency range: 3.1 – 10.6 GHz
- Propagation speed: linear speed of light (0.3 m/ns)
- max. range: 200 m (656.2 ft.)
- max. data rate: 480 Mbits/s
- max. transmission power: < 1 mW
- range: 10 –200 m (32.8 – 656.2 ft.) (depending on the application)
- Localization accuracy: 0.1 – 0.5 m (0.33 – 1.64 feet)
- low susceptibility to interference (no interference with WLAN and ISM channels)
- Localization via transit time procedure (ToF, “Time of Flight“, i.e. the transit time of the signal is multiplied by the speed of light in order to determine the distance between radio transmitters and receivers)

Current Applicable Ultra-Wideband Standard

UWB technology is based on the international standard IEEE 802.15.4a, which defines the physical level of the IR-UWB. The standard in the form of 802.15.4z was reopened in 2018. This should give the physical level more security.

4 Ways to Locate via Ultra-Wideband

UWB combines very short impulses that move at the speed of light. The arrival time of the signal is measured precisely over a high bandwidth, thus determining the position of the transmitter with high precision. If there is visual contact, distances of up to 250 meters (820.2 feet) can be achieved. Depending on the requirements, one of the following methods for position calculation is used:

01 TDoA

02 TWR

03 AoA

04 PDoA

KINEXON Ultra-Wideband System Methods TDoA

Time-difference of Arrival (TDoA)

Advantage: lowest energy consumption

How it works: The sensor emits signals which the anchors receive at different times according to their distance. The sensor position is calculated using time differences.

Application scope: Real Time Localization of “things” in large numbers

KINEXON Ultra-Wideband System Methods TWR

Two-way Ranging (TWR)

Advantage: highest precision and positional stability

How it works: The anchors send UWB signals, the sensors return them. The distance is calculated based on the time it takes the pulses between sending and receiving.

Area of application: Real Time Localization of workers, tools and navigation of driverless transport systems

Angle of Arrival (AoA)

Advantage: higher precision with little infrastructure

How it works: The moving object sends out UWB signals. The position is calculated via the angle of arrival and the direction of the signal relative to the anchor. Additionally, the signal strength of the UWB sender is included in the calculation.

Area of application: Real-time localization of objects and assets with little infrastructure

Phase-Difference-of-Arrival (PDoA)

Advantage: can be implemented in restricted infrastructures

How it works: In order to determine the sensor position, the phase difference between received signals at both anchor antennas is evaluated and the angle of the signal is calculated relative to the anchor.

Application scope: Real Time Localization of “things” in large numbers

Advantages of UWB as a Localization Solution

Infrastructure, technical requirements and goals of the application should always be included in the decision making. Because there are many reasons to go for a UWB-based application: