Overview of Ultra-Wideband Positioning Technology
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, as an emerging wireless communication technology, has many unique advantages. It uses nanosecond-level or even shorter pulse signals to transmit data, with a spectrum width typically greater than 500MHz, covering the frequency band from 3.1GHz to 10.6GHz. Thanks to its ultra-wide frequency band, UWB exhibits low-power consumption characteristics. Its output power is strictly limited, and the power of a single channel is relatively low, meeting the requirements of environmental protection and energy conservation. At the same time, through technologies such as time-of-flight (ToF) measurement of signals and angle-of-arrival (AoA) measurement, UWB can achieve high-precision positioning at the centimeter level. And due to the particularity of its pulse signals, it causes minimal interference to other communication frequency bands and has strong anti-interference capabilities itself. These characteristics endow UWB with broad application potential in numerous fields.
Applications in the Intelligent Transportation Field
Keyless Entry System
In the automotive industry, UWB technology has been successfully applied to keyless entry systems. Cars can accurately identify the location of the owner through UWB technology. When the owner approaches the vehicle, the system automatically unlocks the doors; after getting inside the car, the engine can be automatically started. Compared with traditional sensing technologies, UWB effectively prevents misidentification, providing a safer and more reliable solution for car owners. For example, after a certain high-end car brand adopted the UWB keyless entry system, user feedback showed that the accuracy and convenience of vehicle unlocking and starting had been significantly improved, and the embarrassing situations caused by mis-sensing no longer occurred.
Autonomous Driving Assistance
UWB technology also plays an important role in autonomous driving assistance. In scenarios of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, UWB, with its high-precision positioning and obstacle detection capabilities, provides key data support for autonomous driving systems. Through UWB, vehicles can obtain the location information of surrounding vehicles and infrastructure in real time and accurately, so as to plan the driving route more accurately and effectively avoid collision accidents. In some intelligent transportation pilot areas, the traffic efficiency of autonomous driving vehicles equipped with UWB technology in complex road conditions has been significantly improved, and the accident rate has been remarkably reduced.
Applications in the Industrial Production Field
Asset Tracking in Smart Warehouses
In the smart warehouse scenario, UWB technology has greatly improved logistics efficiency and management precision. It can accurately track the location of each item, and warehouse managers can master the storage location and circulation status of goods in real time through the system. For example, after a large e-commerce enterprise's smart warehouse applied UWB technology, the cargo sorting efficiency increased by 30%, and the inventory counting accuracy rate reached over 99%. Staff can quickly locate the required goods, reducing the time spent searching for goods and improving the overall operation efficiency of the warehouse.
Personnel Positioning and Management in Factories
In the factory environment, UWB technology is used to monitor the working status of employees in real time. By equipping employees with UWB positioning tags, managers can know the location of employees in real time to ensure the smooth operation of the production line. In case of an emergency, the location of employees can be quickly determined and rescue can be carried out. For instance, after an electronics manufacturing factory introduced the UWB personnel positioning system, the response time to workshop accidents was shortened by 50%. At the same time, by analyzing the working trajectories of employees, the production process was optimized, and the production efficiency was improved.
Applications in the Public Service Field
Baggage Tracking and Indoor Navigation in Airports
Beijing Daxing International Airport was the first to apply the ultra-wideband high-precision indoor positioning system, with a positioning accuracy of about 10 centimeters. In terms of baggage check-in, there are many blind spots in the supervision of traditional airport baggage check-in, which is likely to lead to misplacement and loss of baggage, and it is difficult to retrieve them. However, the ultra-wideband technology enables passengers to clearly see the baggage transportation route, like "linear" tracking, making up for the deficiency of the "point-like" information of traditional RFID technology. At the same time, Daxing Airport has also installed the ultra-wideband system on some baggage carts, which helps the airport management department obtain the driving route and plays a positive role in alleviating flight delays. In addition, in terms of indoor navigation in the airport, UWB technology provides passengers with centimeter-level positioning accuracy, helping passengers quickly find boarding gates, stores, and other locations, and enhancing the passenger travel experience.
Patient and Equipment Management in Hospitals
In the hospital scenario, UWB technology can accurately locate the position of patients. Especially in emergency situations, it can greatly improve the response speed. At the same time, through real-time positioning and high-speed data transmission, UWB has improved the utilization rate and management efficiency of medical equipment. For example, after a large comprehensive hospital adopted the UWB positioning system, the average emergency response time was shortened by 15 minutes, and the time spent searching for medical equipment was reduced by 70%, effectively improving the service quality and operation efficiency of the hospital.
