Is Ultra-Wideband (UWB) the next big wireless technology for smart homes?
Figure 8: SmartThings Find uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and ultra- wideband (UWB) technologies to help people find select Galaxy smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and earbuds. Credit: Samsung
Smart sensing One of UWB’s unique aspects is that is can be used in radar type functions. NOVELDA, developer of the world’s most accurate and reliable human presence sensor, released a UWB sensor for the smart home that uses impulse radar to give any device the ability to accurately sense human presence. By detecting the tiny movements humans make when we breathe, the sensor can detect human presence even if subjects are lying under a duvet or wearing layers of clothing. This level of presence detection will provide more accurate touch- free interaction with smart home devices such as touchless-screen displays, lighting, HVAC control and wireless health monitors.
above, can unlock the user’s car automatically as they approach, start the engine, and even guide users to their car in large parking areas. The smartphone only connects with the digital system when it is within the communication range of the vehicle (Figure 7). Smartphone Smartphones are set to lead the UWB market [1] . The first company to apply the technology was Apple, which integrated UWB into its U1 chip for the iPhone 11 in September 2019. The technology can also be found in Apple’s AirDrop. With AirDrop, UWB provides spatial awareness capabilities, enabling two UWB- enabled iPhones (or other devices in the future) to register that they are pointed at each other, allowing for wireless data transfer. Apple is also expected to release UWB- enabled personal trackers, AirTags, which will allow users to locate lost items with an UWB-enabled iPhone.
applications, Samsung’s Galaxy Note20 Ultra features UWB technology. The smartphone contains NXP’s Secure UWB fine- ranging solution, bringing users powerful tools to help maximise their time and simplify their daily routines. UWB is also enhancing Samsung’s Nearby Share app for device-to- device file transfers. Users simply need to point their phone at another UWB-equipped device and Nearby Share automatically lists that device at the top of their sharing panel. Samsung has also integrated UWB into its SmartThings Find application (Figure 8) which uses augmented reality (AR) to show users the exact direction, distance, and location of other UWB-equipped devices. For example, the Galaxy SmartTag+ is currently being equipped with UWB technology so it can pinpoint the location of items such as bags, keys, and purses with greater accuracy.
The future of UWB
As this discussion has highlighted, UWB is ideally suited for the high-precision ranging, low power consumption, high data rates and wide bandwidth requirements for next generation consumer electronic devices and smart home appliances.
However, whilst the technology is
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