The latest high-end smartphones hide innovative, powerful technology known as UWB. It enables ultra-fast data transmission and locating objects over very long distances with an accuracy of up to 10 cm, even in difficult conditions. Moreover, this is very precise and uses just a small amount of power. Did this short introduction intrigue you? If so, discover the potential of UWB.
According to experts in the field of the latest technologies, UWB may, in the long run, change the way we use specific devices, not only smartphones but also everyday items. So far, this technology has been reserved only for industrial applications, but soon we can witness how UWB improves augmented consumer reality. For example, with UWB, owners of the latest smartphones can now transfer files by pointing their mobile phones towards another person. However, this short description is not enough to appreciate this innovative technology. So let’s find out what UWB is and how it can affect our life.
What Is UWB Technology?
UWB is an abbreviation of Ultra-Wideband technology, i.e., a radio communication technique based on the fast sending of short-term pulses, where the duration of a single pulse is of the order of several dozen picoseconds. That allows for a vast emission spectrum. UWB technology differs from standards such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as it occupies an extensive 500 MHz frequency width, in a range which (depending on the region) stretches from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz and has been specially designed to be more resistant to any disturbance than other wireless communication standards.
In other words, UWB, unlike narrowband radio systems, has the advantage of being less sensitive to interference and can measure distances accurately. The precision of UWB allows you to find applications for this technology in many business areas. Moreover, Ultra-Wideband technology can also support smartphone users in their daily activities. Now, we will look at a few examples of UWB applications both in industry and in everyday life.
Application Of UWB In Different Sectors And Industries
A wide variety of industries can benefit from UWB technology. Let’s look at some cases.
Transportation
UWB can effectively support tracking, navigation, and localization at airports or railway stations. By placing unique markers on vehicles or equipment, the facility management can accurately track its position and possible changes in its location. Furthermore, because UWB enables effective tracking, vehicle drivers can analyze the traffic on the road in real-time and avoid crowded places and thus avoid wasting time on traffic jams.
Medicine
Another sector that can benefit a lot from the implementation of UWB technology is medicine. In hospitals, patients often wander around a large medical facility or even try to escape from it. With UWB, healthcare professionals can locate a patient in no time and receive an alert when they enter a place they should not go to because they are not authorized. UWB can also improve patient safety and the efficiency of all healthcare. Medical personnel will concentrate on their core activities thanks to the possibility of faster patient location. Moreover, thanks to UWB technology, medical care can reduce the time needed to find the necessary medical equipment practically to a minimum.
Museums and cultural centers
With UWB, museums and other cultural centers can locate their visitors and offer content relevant to their current position, enhancing their experience of visiting this place. We can imagine that as soon as visitors are in front of an applicable exhibit, the museum can provide them with relevant information about the history of this object or its creator. Indeed, this type of interaction with visitors will increase their experience and satisfaction with the visit many times over. What’s more, thanks to the UWB location, museums can send their visitors warnings to keep them away. The Magazzino Italian Art museum even used UWB to control social distancing among visitors during the Covid-19 pandemic.
There is no doubt that the precise location of UWB supports the Industry 4.0 businesses. However, these are just three examples of the many different possibilities of UWB application in many other sectors.Applications Of UWB In Everyday Life
However, as we have already mentioned, Ultra-Wideband technology can also help us in everyday life thanks to the latest smartphones. Let’s look at some examples.
Finding items
Thanks to UWB, you can forget about the daily search for a wallet or car keys. With the help of this modern technology, you will immediately locate the items you are looking for. Currently, for such a situation to happen, an object that you often lose must be equipped with a small UWB sensor. You can stick it on the things that you are looking for frequently. A smartphone equipped with UWB technology will immediately locate the object, show you the direction in which you should follow to find it, and most importantly, it will tell you how far away you are.
See how that works in this short YouTube video:
Quick file transfer
Phones with UWB antennas can use this technology to transfer files between nearby devices. You need to point the phone towards another device to transfer files. However, it must be a phone of the same brand equipped with UWB technology. Currently, this solution is available in the latest Apple and Samsung devices.
Open your car at a distance
The proposal to unlock the door without a key using UWB is relatively new. Moreover, a car to be opened using this technology must also be equipped with an appropriate UWB antenna. However, some car manufacturers have already announced their intention to implement this technology in their vehicles. An example is BMW, which has reported that it will implement UWB in its BMW iX 2022.
Of course, the idea of unlocking the door without a key is not new. Car manufacturers have been offering mobile applications that make this possible for several years now. However, UWB outperforms other solutions with its accuracy and low energy consumption. Moreover, with the help of UWB, the car door can, for example, be unlocked only when the owner’s phone is detected within a meter radius, even if the mobile device is not in use. Implementing this innovative technology also enables car owners to lend their virtual vehicle keys to several third parties.
Security Of UWB Technology
An essential advantage of UWB is the security of this technology. In addition to encryption in data transmission, UWB security is also based on ToF technology. Furthermore, by estimating distance based on response time rather than signal strength (an option on Bluetooth and some Wi-Fi services), the technology minimizes the risk of so-called man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, such as those that use signal amplification to trick your device.
UWB Has Much More To Offer
In theory, the production cost of UWB chips is not much different from that of Bluetooth components, except for the economies of scale in manufacturing. Nevertheless, UWB technology has been included in the standard of the latest smartphones raising the likelihood of a quick popularization of the system. UWB offers practical potential beyond NFC, and the examples provided are just a glimpse of what the technology will deliver, even if it takes some time.
