Business Weekly

An example of Ubisense's tiny tag tachnology

 Ubisense, which uses ultra-wideband (UWB) frequency signals to track tagged objects, has teamed up with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) provider, TagStone to build a tracking system for watchful parents.

The two companies have designed and built the one-of-a-kind tracking network for a giant kid-centric shopping mall in Kuwait, using Ubisense’s distributed Spatial Location Platform software to give shopping parents piece of mind.

Parents are able to drop their children at the mall’s giant Sea Serpent playground, the length of four London busses, while they enjoy their shopping safe in the knowledge that their kids are under Ubisense’s watchful eye.

Children left under the supervision of the area’s trained staff are provided with a wristband incorporating the Ubisense location tag, and their parents receive a “ticket” with a unique identifier matching their child’s wristband.

The parents are then free to shop in the enormous mall, and are able to check the whereabouts and activities of at info kiosks around the store.

As parents browse Baroue they are able to visit a number of info-kiosks and using the unique identifier ticket, can view their children at play. The selected child is highlighted on a 3D map of the playground and the parents may request camera views of their child at play, which follow the child as they move.

The system was commissioned by MS Retail owners of the Kuwaiti store, in an effort to enhance its customers shopping experience.

“We have already seen real benefits in terms of customer satisfaction and time spent in-store. We have had positive feedback from customers and children who have become regulars,” said Fahad Al-Mutawa, Chairman and CEO of MS Retail.
UWB differs from traditional RTLS technologies primarily by the frequencies it uses and the precision it provides.

The overwhelming majority of currently deployed RTLS systems use 433 MHz or WiFi technology, with location accuracy typically expressed in meters.

In contrast,  one UWB vendor says its systems can locate tagged objects within 15 centimeters.

Ubisense provided the RTLS sensor network, tags and its distributed Spatial Location Platform software which forms the heart of the system, while Dubai-based TagStone developed the software for check-in counters and info-kiosks.
 
Installation and project management was carried out by both companies in partnership and the system has been in commercial operation since November 2007.

The UWB market is comparitively young and small, with few commercial products and no standards to support interoperability among vendors.

Despite these obstacles, UWB RTLS is seen as a viable, growing technology, primarily because it provides highly accurate location data and works effectively indoors or out.
 

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