Mar 01, 2018The following are news announcements made during the past week by the following organizations:
B.O.S. Better Online Solutions;
Comprion;
Scania, H&D Wireless;
SML, the Auburn University RFID Center;
MetraLabs, Qopius; and
Frost & Sullivan.
Better Online Solutions' RFID and Mobile Division Receives Order for Retail Self-Scanning Project
B.O.S Better Online Solutions, an Israeli provider of RFID and mobile solutions and a global provider of supply chain solutions to enterprises, has announced that its RFID and Mobile Division has received an order for a self-scanning solution, for use in a pilot program conducted by a food retail chain in Israel.
Self-scanning enables shoppers to tally up their purchases while in the store, and to then bag and pay for their items without cashier assistance. B.O.S.'s RFID and Mobile Division will source the equipment and provide the retailer with integration services of such equipment as scanners, wireless infrastructure, a mobile device-management application and docking stations.
"This is part of the global automated store trend led by Amazon," said Yuval Viner, B.O.S.'s co-CEO, in a prepared statement. "We are pleased to be part of the first self-scanning pilot conducted by a food retail chain in Israel. We expect the testing to be completed in a few months."
Comprion Launches NFC Testing and Troubleshooting System
Comprion, a provider of test solutions, has launched a product line for Near Field Communication (NFC) testing, known as CL Development, at the Embedded World conference, being held this week in Nuremberg, Germany. The system can be used to validate interface design, prepare for certification, perform functional testing or verify interoperability, the company reports.
According to Comprion, the market is being inundated with new NFC technologies and applications, resulting in a large number of NFC devices that have not been tested according to universal standards. Standards often do not cover everything, the company explains, because NFC applications demand conformance to their own specifications. Functioning NFC systems, such as access-control and contactless-payment systems, are extended by use of smartphones, which can cause interoperability issues. When individually tested, NFC modules can be integrated into car door handles, terminals or machines, and the materials used may interfere with sensitive NFC fields.
"Many of these problems could become real showstoppers and cause expensive recalls," said Michael Jahnich, Comprion's development head for NFC test solutions, in a prepared statement. "This can be avoided by testing early in the development phase." The CL Development line has been designed for NFC development testing, he said, and can be used in the following areas:
Pre-conformance testing, for reducing expensive test lab hours: EMVCo- and NFC Forum-compliant test benches can ensure that an NFC device conforms to the specifications and optimally prepares it for certification. This reduces expensive lab times in the test house.
Functional testing, for customized NFC device testing: With the help of APIs, it is possible to write and run customized tests. In this way, MNOs or application developers can ensure that NFC devices comply with their special requirements.
Interoperability testing, for finding error causes: In the event of problems, errors on the contactless interface can be displayed and visualized. Analysis software makes it possible to localize potential error sources, and to resolve the problems in the lab.
Design validation, for optimizing design: The solution can identify the magnetic field in its form and strength, and thus define measures for optimizing the interface—for example, when integrating antennas. Thus, interference factors caused by surrounding materials can be identified and removed.
The CL Development line is a modular system consisting of different hardware and software components, as well as unique antennas and accessories that can be configured to match a particular test case. "You don't pay for software and features that you don't use, but only for those that you actually need," Jahnich said in the prepared statement. "On the other hand, the system can also be extended by adding further components so that you can cover other application areas."
Scania Evaluates H&D Wireless RTLS Solution for Indoor Positioning
H&D Wireless (HDW), a Swedish supplier of Internet of Things (IoT) and real-time location system (RTLS) cloud platform solutions, has been evaluated and approved in a project with another Swedish industrial company. Truck manufacturer Scania has evaluated H&D Wireless' GEPS indoor-positioning system at its SmartFactory Lab in Södertälje, Stockholm, with the goal of attaining a better overview of processes and objects through production.
After several demonstrations and presentations in recent months, H&D Wireless has been invited to quote its services to a pilot project in Scania's factories. In June 2017, HDW was chosen as a supplier of indoor-positioning RTLS solutions to Scania's concept factory in Södertälje, known as the SmartFactory Lab. "We are proud, after six months of evaluation in the SmartFactory Lab, to have passed a very important milestone with one of the world's largest truck manufacturers—that is, to be invited to offer in a pilot project at Scania," said Pär Bergsten, H&D Wireless's CEO and founder, in a prepared statement.
"We know that our solution GEPS for industry (Griffin Enterprise Positioning Services) Creates business value: The industrial companies that implement RTLS solutions can expect 20-40 percent improved utilization of their equipment, as well as 6-12 months payback," Bergsten said in the prepared statement. "This also applies to the automotive industry."
"At Scania's SmartFactory Lab, we evaluate new technologies and solutions to see what you can achieve," said Lars Hanson, Scania's SmartFactory Lab project manager, in the prepared statement. "Furthermore, we are demonstrating the technologies in the most real way possible, regardless of the ongoing production." According to the company, the SmartFactory Lab is a key part of a structured process to introduce new technologies to Scania's global factories, including sister company MAN's factories.
SML Sponsors Auburn University RFID Center, Joins Board of Advisors
SML, a provider of encoded RFID tags for retail projects, has announced that it has become a member of Auburn University's RFID Center and has taken a seat on its board of advisors. The lab is focused on the implementation of RFID and other emerging technologies in retail, such as supply chain and manufacturing.
SML will provide expertise focused on enabling an evolution to omnichannel retailing, to help businesses achieve a better return on investment (ROI) and use its Clarity solution to improve inventory accuracy. The firm's RFID-enabled labels, tags, stickers and inlays will be on display, and will be made available for demonstrations at the lab.
"We are thrilled to be part of the Auburn RFID Center, and to be a part of such a prestigious organization is a great step for us," said Dean Frew, SML's chief technology officer and senior VP, in a prepared statement. "We are expecting 2018 to be the biggest year in terms of RFID rollouts and being a member of the center's advisory board means we will be at the forefront at how retail and apparel industries can move into the future." Serving as a bridge between the academic and business communities, the RFID Center works with supply chain, retail, technology and manufacturing companies, drawing on the knowledge of faculty members and students in its College of Business, Engineering and Agriculture.
"We're very excited to have SML join the board. As the RFID market expands the need for solid tag and label solutions becomes ever greater, and we're especially interested in the leadership SML has taken in the upstream supply chain operations with Clarity," said Justin Patton, the RFID Center's director, in the prepared statement. "The brand owners and product manufacturers are coming to the forefront of the industry, and SML will play a large role on pushing the supply chain to fully realized serialized item level data sharing."
MetraLabs, Qopius Collaborate on Retail Vision Robot
MetraLabs, a provider of mobile robotics, has partnered with Qopius, a supplier of computer vision for the retail industry and CPG manufacturers, to introduce a retail vision robot at EuroCIS 2018, being held this week in Düsseldorf, Germany. This development, the companies report, will combine mobile robotics technology and computer vision to provide store shelf analytics and insights for retailers. MetraLabs' engineers have created new features for the TORY mobile inventory robot, in cooperation with Qopius, and for the SCITOS A5mobile service robot, which allow a wider range of applications.
The integration of computer vision into the TORY robot enables retailers to capture shelf reality with greater accuracy and efficiency, the companies report, and to convert this information into actionable, real-time insights. This helps retailers understand what is happening on store shelves, become more productive and profitable, and create an omnichannel retail experience that relies on accurate merchandising and inventory information.
Retailers already monitor their shelf activity, the companies explain, but to date this has been completed in labor-intensive and fragmented ways, resulting in out-of-date, inaccurate and inconsistent information. By integrating MetraLabs' and Qopius' technologies, retailers can reduce operational costs, increase revenues, and secure additional analytics and insights regarding the shelf to support both immediate and future in-store strategies.
In addition, the MetraLabs team has equipped the SCITOS A5 mobile service robot with safety features. This includes a 360-degree view. SCITOS A5 can support security teams as a moving surveillance camera. The system is already being used in practice as a guiding robot, and to interact with customers and visitors via a touch display, speech synthesis and head movements.
Both the SCITOS A5 and TORY can navigate autonomously, and can avoid obstacles and move safely in a public environment. The robots are equipped with navigation software developed by MetraLabs. The safety functions have been tested and certified by Germany's TÜV technical inspection association, according to EG guidelines.
Frost & Sullivan Report Cites High-Revenue RF Test and Measurement Areas
Frost & Sullivan's latest analysis, titled "Radio Frequency (RF) Test and Measurement (T&M) Market, Forecast to 2023," reports that a high demand from the connected car industry, advancements in wireless communication standards, and pre-5G and 5G technologies are driving industry expansion. The study provides a detailed assessment of key market dynamics, drivers and restraints, revenue forecasts by region, and market share and competitive analysis.
Frost & Sullivan expects the Asia-Pacific region to be the largest and fastest-growing region for RF T&M vendors, with estimated revenues of $1.99 billion by 2023. "Asia has become the manufacturing hub of the world and holds special importance for vendors, but it is also making inroads in research and development (R&D), which will further increase its importance going forward," said Jessy Cavazos, Frost & Sullivan's measurement and instrumentation industry director, in a prepared statement. "This region will also create significant opportunities for T&M vendors in the aerospace and defense industry."
According to the report, North America and Europe will benefit from wireless technologies. Growth in these regions will be bolstered by R&D activity around new wireless communications standards, connected cars and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). With lower activities in emerging regions, the Latin America, Middle East and Africa segments represent about 5 percent of the total market revenues. The five major growth opportunities in the RF T&M market, which are expected to generate more $30 billion in new revenues by 2023, include:
Connected car and autonomous driving: Infotainment systems have evolved tremendously and are now at the core of the value proposition of automakers. The adoption of wireless communications standards like LTE and Wi-Fi is driving demand for more RF testing, and important R&D investments are being made in automotive radar and target simulation.
5G: Extensive ongoing research on 5G technologies is increasing demand for RF T&M equipment, and will continue to do so throughout the forecast period. Demand will go to higher frequencies in the long term, to the detriment of the less-than-8 GHz market.
Modular instrumentation: The penetration of modular electronic instrumentation is expected to continue to align with the multi-channel nature of upcoming end-user technologies; the CAGR from 2016 to 2023 for the modular RF T&M market is 14 percent.
Asia-Pacific: The Asia-Pacific area is expected to witness higher growth than other regions, which will drive an increase in its share to 43.2 percent in 2023.
IoT Devices: Market participants expect narrowband IoT and mobile IoT standards such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), LTE-M and SigFox LoRa to create a new part of the market. This trend translates into an increase in parallel testing and generates a market for low-cost instrumentation.
"Market development is being impinged upon by RF instruments having a high price tag, especially high-end test equipment used in R&D applications," Cavazos said in the prepared statement. "Companies across industry verticals are facing customer and competitor pressures to reduce prices, which is spreading throughout the value chain."
