The Power of UWB Positioning in Enterprise: Improving Efficiency and Safety

Within the current climate of high market competition, businesses must maintain their efficiency, introduce innovations, and pay increased attention to staff safety. This is where UWB technology comes to the rescue. With it, you can ensure the positioning of assets or any other objects in real time.

What is UWB technology?

UWB, or Ultra Wideband, is a radio frequency technology that uses low-power spectral density channels. Unlike Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, data transmission is carried out by short pulses of electromagnetic energy, which allows the platform to quickly transfer large amounts of information.

The average data transfer rate when using the UWB technology is 480 Mbps at a distance of up to 10 ft. The system features high bandwidth of up to 500 MHz and operates at frequencies ranging from 3.1 to 10.6 GHz. If you implement UWB positioning at your company, you can get high accuracy in determining the location of objects. On average, it reaches 4-20 inches, which makes the technology the best choice for tracking business processes.

When using the system, special sensors (beacons, tags) are placed on the monitored assets. They propagate radio pulses captured by receivers and sent to the server for further processing. For UWB positioning, two main techniques can be applied - two-way ranging (TWR) or difference in time of arrival (TDoA).

How UWB positioning improves efficiency and staff safety

Ultra Wideband technology is widely used in manufacturing. With it, you can determine the location of objects, track expensive assets, eliminate equipment downtime, and prevent collisions with vehicles.

Determining the location of equipment and vehicles within the enterprise

A UWB indoor positioning system gives instant results in determining the location of objects. Quick communication, calculated in nanoseconds, provides real-time positioning and helps you easily find tools, equipment, and vehicles. The data update rate is higher than 100 times per second, and this allows you to immediately determine not only the location, but also the movement of people or assets in real time.

UWB positioning systems can perform a variety of tasks, such as the following:

• creating geofences that trigger certain actions when crossing their borders;
• exchanging messages about your location;
• optimizing tasks;
• quickly finding any assets.

When using the UWB positioning system, the management receives a clear picture of the location of equipment and vehicles, which allows for a more efficient allocation of resources and increased productivity.

Tracking high-value assets/equipment to prevent theft

Accurate UWB indoor positioning helps minimize the loss of assets and theft. The assets are equipped with special sensors that provide real-time positioning and send notifications about the movement of equipment. So, suppose an object crosses certain boundaries (for example, is seen beyond the territory). In that case, the system immediately gives a sound or light signal and also sends out an emergency message.

Using UWB positioning ensures the safety of valuable assets. If needed, you can set certain zones outside of which the system will generate emergency notifications. This way, you can minimize the cost of purchasing new equipment and prevent theft even before the tool or equipment leaves the territory.

Equipment downtime management

Incorporating the Ultra Wideband technology into the infrastructure of a factory helps reduce costs associated with machinery downtime. With this system, it’s possible to effectively manage the equipment and facilitate the work of the staff involved in the control and inspection. The system is capable of performing the following tasks:

• monitoring the state of equipment;
• maintenance control;
• sending notifications about the need for repairs;
• monitoring the KPIs;
• identifying lost or non-performing assets.

The platform helps the management reduce equipment costs. With it, you can make efficient decisions on the use of equipment, plan tasks for further operation, and get rid of excess costs.

Preventing collisions of equipment with staff

UWB is optimally suited for improving occupational safety at a factory. After it’s implemented, you can continuously monitor the movement of vehicles and select the best routes for traveling around the territory. The system provides the following features:

• positioning vehicles on the map;
• adjusting routes to avoid collisions;
• optimizing logistics processes;
• collision or accident prevention.

With UWB technology, emergencies can be significantly minimized. A positioning system allows you to evaluate the efficiency of vehicles, make their movement safer for staff, and provide quick responses in cases of rule violations.

Benefits of UWB positioning for business

Ultra Wideband has many advantages that encourage companies to opt for this particular technology. The main ones are improved positioning accuracy, low power consumption, and high throughput.

Large bandwidth

The system operates with a wide bandwidth, which allows for using several carrier frequencies at once. With this solution, time-modulated ultra-wideband (TM-UWB) pulses gain increased immunity to interference and are less likely to experience multipath problems.

Low power consumption

UWB consumes less power compared to other positioning systems. The transmitting devices send signals only during pulse transmission, which reduces the overall power consumption. In addition, the wide bandwidth provides a higher level of multipath resolution, minimizing power consumption.

High accuracy

One of the main benefits of the UWB technology is its accuracy. As mentioned above, it can start from 4 inches, making the system excellent for the precise localization of objects. It can be effectively used to transfer data between industrial installations, track vehicles, and control parts and components on production lines.

To sum up, the UWB positioning for business can be a powerful tool in business development. Increased reliability, accuracy, and low power consumption make the technology an excellent choice for creating applications that require reliable location data.