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U.S. Army Uses UWB to Track Trainees
Unlike conventional RFID systems, which operate on single bands of the radio spectrum, UWB transmits a signal over multiple frequency bands simultaneously, anywhere from 3.1 to 10.6 GHz. Ubisense tags and readers operate at 5.8 to 7.2 GHz. UWB signals are also transmitted for a much shorter duration than those used in conventional RFID. UWB tags send data in very shorts pulses, or wavelets, rather than conventional RF waveforms; thus, they consume less power than conventional RF tags and can be used in close proximity to other RF signals without causing or suffering from interference.
Before the Ubisense hardware was available to them, DSCI tracked soldiers' indoor movements using ultrasonic tags and readers, which proved inadequate due to interference caused by the ultrasonic noise emitted by firing weapons systems. "The ultrasonic method didn't give us as good a level of resolution as UWB, and the tags failed during gunfire because of the high decibel levels of the charges. Since there was a lot of gunfire, this proved an ineffective solution," says Wagner. Ultrasonic also did not function well through walls, which is not an issue with UWB.
Initially, DSCI tried to develop its own UWB system in-house, but market research showed that UWB vendors, specifically Ubisense, were much further along in the development of these systems. "Going with a company that already had an established product line made it much easier for us to implement our solutions," Wagner explains.
Before installing the system, Ubisense engineers conducted an RF spectrum analysis of the MOUT site to determine any potential conflicts between the Ubisense sensors and any other radio devices used on-site. Once the system was installed, one performance problem needed to be resolved. DSCI had boosted the signal strength of the Ubitags so their signals would better penetrate the concrete walls of the MOUT buildings, but this led to multipath interference. For example, more than one interrogator sometimes read the same tag, and single interrogators read more than one RF signal from the same tag, due to the signals bouncing off objects before being received. To resolve this dilemma, Ubisense engineers adjusted the RF filter levels inside the Ubisensors. The filter uses algorithms to determine which signals received from a given tag should be used.
Overall, Wagner says, the Ubisense system has been working very well for DSCI and the military's training needs. DSCI is one of 60 clients Ubisense has attracted since earning approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for its advanced UWB technology (see FCC Certifies Ubisense's UWB).
"Demand for our product has been much greater than we even expected," says Jay Cadman, Ubisense's vice president of sales and marketing. "The majority of our customers are using the Ubitags to track people's movements, and are mostly doing so in order to help them improve business processes that involve people." The system is being used in health-care facilities, for example, to monitor the workflow of medical staff within emergency rooms by following the movements of Ubitags embedded in staff ID badges. The Ubisense system is also being utilized in manufacturing settings to track the movements of line workers and assets.
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Before the Ubisense hardware was available to them, DSCI tracked soldiers' indoor movements using ultrasonic tags and readers, which proved inadequate due to interference caused by the ultrasonic noise emitted by firing weapons systems. "The ultrasonic method didn't give us as good a level of resolution as UWB, and the tags failed during gunfire because of the high decibel levels of the charges. Since there was a lot of gunfire, this proved an ineffective solution," says Wagner. Ultrasonic also did not function well through walls, which is not an issue with UWB.
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| Within a MOUT environment, the U.S. Army tracks soldiers as they train, primarily for lessons learned and after-action review. |
Initially, DSCI tried to develop its own UWB system in-house, but market research showed that UWB vendors, specifically Ubisense, were much further along in the development of these systems. "Going with a company that already had an established product line made it much easier for us to implement our solutions," Wagner explains.
Before installing the system, Ubisense engineers conducted an RF spectrum analysis of the MOUT site to determine any potential conflicts between the Ubisense sensors and any other radio devices used on-site. Once the system was installed, one performance problem needed to be resolved. DSCI had boosted the signal strength of the Ubitags so their signals would better penetrate the concrete walls of the MOUT buildings, but this led to multipath interference. For example, more than one interrogator sometimes read the same tag, and single interrogators read more than one RF signal from the same tag, due to the signals bouncing off objects before being received. To resolve this dilemma, Ubisense engineers adjusted the RF filter levels inside the Ubisensors. The filter uses algorithms to determine which signals received from a given tag should be used.
Overall, Wagner says, the Ubisense system has been working very well for DSCI and the military's training needs. DSCI is one of 60 clients Ubisense has attracted since earning approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for its advanced UWB technology (see FCC Certifies Ubisense's UWB).
"Demand for our product has been much greater than we even expected," says Jay Cadman, Ubisense's vice president of sales and marketing. "The majority of our customers are using the Ubitags to track people's movements, and are mostly doing so in order to help them improve business processes that involve people." The system is being used in health-care facilities, for example, to monitor the workflow of medical staff within emergency rooms by following the movements of Ubitags embedded in staff ID badges. The Ubisense system is also being utilized in manufacturing settings to track the movements of line workers and assets.
