Module Boost Indoor Tracking Accuracy

News & Analysis

NEW YORK CITY DecaWave aims to boost accuracy for indoor location tracking with its a module based on its DWM1000 chip that locates objects within 10 cm using time-of-flight techniques.

"There is a lot going on around indoor location technology for asset tracking, people tracking," DecaWave marketing manager Mickael Viot told us. Tracking via Bluetooth or WiFi "doesn't work in the real world because it only gives reliable measurements between three and five meters."

The 23 mm x 13 mm x 2.9 mm module is meant for applications in industrial, automotive, and logistics markets, using both time-of-flight measurements and signals to track objects in crowded rooms. The module supports six frequency bands from 3.5 GHz to 6.5 GHz, and it can generate "a perfect pulse that's really sharp with very, very high accuracy."

The DWM1000 module. (Source: DecaWave)

Bluetooth and WiFi systems suffer can track only items within the sight of access points, Viot said. DecaWave's system maximizes the range between its RF nodes. As a result, businesses will require fewer receivers Viot said an open 32,000-square-foot warehouse would need 15-20 receivers; an older office with many objects and thick walls would need one for every 250 square feet.

DecaWave has partnered with LG Innotek to use the module in its smart lighting systems and for asset tracking within buildings. South Korea Telecom is using the technology to sell tracking services in public places such as museums. The module can send data packets at up to 6.8 Mbit/s.

In addition to solving indoor tracking issues, DecaWave wants to use its module to further security in the Internet of Things. Viot envisions a 3 x 3 mm footprint for DecaWave chips in IoT devices, using the module's ability to track objects at a distance. Citing connections to the automotive industry, Viot said the company will work with auto manufacturers to prevent key fob theft and unwanted car unlocking.

Jessica Lipsky, Associate Editor, EE Times

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Module Boost Indoor Tracking Accuracy