Ultra-Wideband (UWB), the robust wireless communications technology commonly known as UWB, is such a versatile technology, capable of doing so many different things, that it can be hard to categorize.
For instance, UWB often serves as a ranging technology, used to pinpoint the whereabouts of an object, so it’s easier to find things that can be misplaced or lost, like a wallet. Other times, UWB is a location technology, used to measure distance and determine the direction of motion, to navigate through large indoor spaces, such as airports and shopping malls. UWB location also lets other devices respond to the presence of your smartphone or smartwatch, so you can do things like lock or unlock your front door based on your location, or have your car respond to your approach by unlocking the driver door and starting the engine and then reversing the process when you leave.
UWB can also be a radar technology, used to sense both presence and movement, so it’s easier to know if someone has left a room or track an object through a production facility. UWB radar can even be used to save lives, by detecting signs of life in an emergency or, more routinely, as part of child-detection systems in cars, which alert the driver if a child is detected in the rear seat of a parked car.
Drawing on a combination of these capabilities, UWB can make everyday systems smarter, safer and more autonomous. For example, UWB-equipped systems in the home, on the road, in medical facilities and industrial environments, can use varying combinations of ranging and radar to enable new kinds of spatial awareness, using presence, location and motion, to save energy, deliver higher degrees of autonomy, keep people safe, or just make familiar experiences more intuitive and more enjoyable.
Also, because UWB can easily be combined with other well-established wireless protocols, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Near Field Communication (NFC), developers are finding ways to optimize power consumption, simplify user interaction and add precision by using UWB in combination with other wireless protocols.
Standardization is crucial for a technology like UWB that is set to enable various user experiences and services including device-to-device and device-to-infrastructure applications. The availability of chipsets help rollout of the technology and increased adoption in various verticals from consumer mobile and IoT devices to automotive. That resulted in the establishment of several different ecosystems to support the development of standards for interoperable UWB solutions addressing various segments. Here's a closer look at some of the key groups guiding UWB’s evolution:
As we envision a world where users can use their UWB enabled devices to interact with any other UWB enabled device be it the air conditioner at their home or to access their car, it requires an ecosystem play to develop secure and interoperable solutions. To create these kinds of seamless interactions, industry stakeholders, including FiRa, the CCC and the CSA, frequently collaborate. While they may, individually, focus on different aspects of UWB, they work together to foster interoperability, build scale and promote next-generation UWB use cases.
Another reason why UWB is growing quickly across such a broad spectrum of use cases is the fact that the technology is now a standard feature in the latest flagship smartphones from Apple, Google, Samsung, and others.
This creates a ready-made infrastructure for UWB functionality, and developers have been quick to take advantage. This is especially the case in consumer-oriented applications, such as asset trackers, digital keys and various smart-home devices, including fans, lamps and smart speakers, which interact with and respond to the presence of a UWB-enabled smartphone.
Having over a billion UWB enabled devices in the field, ABI Research expects that the annual shipments of UWB technology will be over 500 million by 2025. As more smartphones, smartwatches and other wearable/portable devices offer UWB as a standard feature, consumers will become increasingly familiar with the technology and that will, in turn, help drive demand for use cases that employ UWB.
UWB technology is at the intersection of vehicle, mobile, industrial and IoT devices. Discover how Trimension UWB products enable various use cases through secure ranging and radar capabilities.
As UWB continues to gain momentum, propelled forward by standards organizations and widespread availability on popular consumer devices, we anticipate UWB will become a standard part of systems that blend seamlessly with daily routines. Here are some examples of what’s underway:
Since UWB is such a versatile technology, with potential relevance to such a wide range of use cases, applications and markets, it can be hard to know where to start. That’s where we can help.
NXP helped pioneer the use of UWB for ranging and radar, and offers one of the broadest portfolios of UWB solutions in the industry. Our UWB Trimension® products for mobile, industrial, IoT and automotive support ranging and radar applications and are designed for interoperability. Our deep involvement with cutting-edge applications and industry groups, including FiRa, the CCC, and CSA, gives us an advantage when it comes to defining, developing and deploying UWB-enabled devices. Also, because we have deep expertise in all the relevant verticals and offer full systems solutions, our customers benefit from our approach to integration and save on R&D resources.
Learn more about Trimension UWB, the technology’s ability to transform everyday experiences and NXP’s dedication to customer enablement.
Marc Manninger is a product and marketing manager with 9 years of experience in the semiconductor industry. He holds a master’s degree in software engineering and business management from studying at Graz University of Technology as well as in Sao Paulo. Throughout his professional career, he has worked on various software projects and products for smart car access. As a product and marketing Manager, he is currently responsible for NXP’s automotive UWB, NFC and secure elements.
Bernhard Grosswindhager is product and marketing manager for automotive UWB contributing to the product and marketing strategy. He holds a PhD Degree in electrical engineering from Graz University of Technology pursuing research on UWB localization and communication. Besides his academic career, he has worked in different roles in medical engineering and automotive.
Sunil Jogi is currently the Director of Marketing for UWB at NXP. He is responsible for UWB sensor products for IoT applications and the ecosystem development surrounding UWB technology. He actively participates in standardization and certification efforts for UWB technology. He has spent more than 20 years in product and ecosystem development for various technologies apart from UWB, including NFC, Payment, and Transit. Additionally, Sunil had the privilege of co-authoring a book on Ultrawideband technology and has multiple patents on connectivity and sensor technologies.