Ultra-wideband (UWB): Future of Indoor Positioning

Ultra-wideband – UWB

What makes an ultra-wideband one of a kind, compared to other wireless technologies? Is that its superior technology as far as bringing the ability or spatial context to gadgets?   

It is not a new innovation however it’s developing insignificance now in light of the fact that the Internet of Things is coming up. For portable devices, you need exceptionally secure, very fast, and exact positioning and this is the thing that ultra-wideband can do for us. 

 Let’s understand.   

Ultra-wideband: An invisible technology that tracks visible nearby objects!!  

(UWB) The ultra-wideband has:  

• The highest bandwidth amongst other wireless technologies, 500Mhz, which helps to transmit data at a higher rate with less consumption of power. 
• Lower spectral densities and it transmits data in short pulses in the order 1ns.   

As per its features, UWB can give the following advantages:  

1. Real-time positioning  
2. High precision ranging  
3. Less interference of surrounding objects     

So how does this technology work?   

UWB uses radio signals, which are harmless to any living beings, for the detection of any objects.  

Let’s understand stepwise with a practical example:   

• Imagine the room with a couple of fixed control PCs that can transmit and receive signals and you bring in a mobile device, a portable transceiver. This your mobile is sending signals and these signals are received by the fixed transceivers, control PCs. It’s a very short signal pulse (only two nanoseconds). What these PCs can do is they can measure the signal runtime from your mobile device to the control PCs and back and by that, you can super accurately determine where this transmitter the mobile is located in the room.  
• The same scenario can be applied to warehouse operations where a mobile device is given to workers which continuously transmits data to the control PC. This data is further sent to the logistics management server where collected final data is shown in PC in 3D view and this way movements of objects/workers can be monitored for an efficient work environment.  

Other Applications: 

• Navigate a person to the gate in a busy airport  
• Share the exact store location in a crowded shopping mall  
• Locate a car, parked in a crowded lot  
• Virtual reality glasses can locate each other & provide a new spatial context experience 
• In pharmacies, exact position/stock of medicines can be known 
• Product availability can be checked in big retail stores for proper management of supply chain 
• It can show you the exact location of the product kept in the racks of Warehouse, for accessing the product or keeping the products in the racks 

Comparison: UWB vs other wireless network technologies: 

In today’s world where there are tons of new innovations deployed in the market, there needs to be safe for valuable devices even for the humans operating them or being surrounded by them. Here, UWB fits perfectly which will improve the operating efficiency and create a smart ecosystem. 

 – Khushboo Bajaj