Renesas Electronics and Altran, part of the Capgemini Group, announced a co-developed wearable solution for social-distancing applications based on Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology. Earlier this year, Renesas announced it had licensed UWB technology from 3db Access AG, a fabless semiconductor company specializing in secure UWB low power chips to augment Renesas microcontrollers (MCUs).
The platform’s form factor, a wristwatch, combines the Renesas Synergy S128 MCU featuring HMI capacitive touch with licensed secure UWB technology. Unlike other social-distancing wearables based on technologies, Renesas’ UWB chipset with Low-Rate Pulse (LRP) can operate on up to 10X less power than competing UWB chips, with an accuracy of 10cm or less. The wristwatch’s safe distance is user-configurable; the wearer is alerted by LEDs and haptic feedback when a second device is detected within this range.
Renesas will begin sampling the UWB chipset during the second half of 2021. As co-developer and system integrator, Altran will leverage the UWB-based platform along with other internal assets to develop additional wearable solutions for social distancing as well as related location-based applications for clients across a broad range of markets, and will be showcased in Altran’s innovation lab.
