Norway-based sensor company Novelda‘s ultra-wideband (UWB) presence sensor is being integrated into computer manufacturer Lenovo‘s ThinkPad X1 Nano laptop, for the purpose of human presence detection. The technology is intended to provide users with touch-free verification and access to their device, as well as automatic locking when they leave. Novelda’s UWB chip differs from traditional UWB systems that require a transmitter and a receiver. Instead, the sensor pulses a UWB transmission to identify the presence of a person or object based on perceived movement, without requiring a response from a tag, a mobile phone or some other UWB device.
Rather than requiring a unique ID number to identify its target, the UWB radar system simply transmits its UWB signal and measures the distance between the sensor and the object or individuals around it. The solution does not know the unique identity of the person or object within range, though it does know its precise location and whether it is moving. Coupled with Lenovo’s facial-recognition technology, the laptop can uniquely identify an individual in order to ensure that no unauthorized party can access the device.
Novelda’s UWB presence sensor
Novelda, a wireless sensor company established in 2004, began offering UWB technology around 2008, according to Eirik Hagem, Novelda’s CCO. The firm was launched based on research conducted at the University of Oslo. The user-detection UWB SoC, he says, serves as a low-power movement sensor for consumer electronics and smart buildings. With regard to consumer electronics, it can identify presence and movement. “As long as you sit in front of the laptop,” he states, “it knows you’re there, and when you step away it locks the laptop.”
The company is building the SoC into the front of each laptop, either above or below the LCD screen. It uses the laptop’s power to transmit a signal in front of it when the device is open. If the sensor detects the presence of someone in front of it, it will then trigger the facial-recognition camera. The individual authorized to use that laptop can be recognized and the computer will unlock. The sensor will continue to detect the presence of the individual using the laptop based on his or her movement, even within a few millimeters.
Because UWB is so precise, Hagem says, it can detect each motion, including if a person leans to one side, forward or back, and it can detect the motion of his or her breath. When the individual walks away from the laptop, the UWB radar detects that movement and identifies that the user is no longer there, and the laptop locks automatically. Users can gain access to their computers within seconds of sitting in front of the device, without having to enter a passcode or touching the touchpad.
The UWB radar solution offers a benefit over other motion sensors, Hagem explains, due to the precise location it provides. “This is critical,” he says. “If you implement the sensor, it needs to be reliable.” Traditional motion sensors could, for instance, erroneously lock the computer if a user were not detected due to very little movement on his or her part. The other benefit to UWB, he adds, is that it requires a minimal amount of power.
By leveraging UWB simply to identify presence, as well as facial recognition to identify an individual, the system’s users are spared from having to carry a UWB-enabled smartphone, tag or other wearable. The system’s settings could be adjusted according to how long the laptop needs to “see” that presence before locking. For instance, it could be set to stay open for seconds or longer if an individual were to briefly step away. It could also be set according to the required maximum range—for example, 1 meter (3.3 feet) or 1.5 meters (4.9 feet), based on a user’s particular needs.
The sensor is designed to be relatively inexpensive when produced at high volumes, the company reports, and it is small, making it easier to build into electronic devices. “Human presence sensing is a big deal for the laptop industry,” Hagem says, and he predicts it will be widely adopted in the coming years. “We’ve been working on this use case for a few years.” More recently. the company has been working with Lenovo to ensure it operates within this device.
Eirik Hagem
The solution is targeted toward businesses that may provide laptops to their employees, Hagem notes, though it could also be of value to consumer-based use cases. The laptop deployment is a first for a major consumer electronics application, he says, and is being built into the company’s premium model. “Over time,” he reports, “we would like to see this as a standard feature in mainstream laptops.”
Novelda is developing its solutions to provide additional use cases as well. For instance, Hagem says, the radar technology can detect when multiple people are in the vicinity of the laptop, enabling it to monitor a more crowded environment, which could be used to augment security. The device could leverage the data, for example, to better understand the environment, thereby improving laptop experience and security. Novelda is also developing solutions that could be used for healthcare purposes, such as detecting the movements of individuals, along with their breathing rates.
For smart buildings Novelda’s sensors are employed for lighting control and building intelligence. The company partnered in 2019 with German sensor provider STEINEL to develop presence detectors for light and HVAC control based on a person’s respiration, and to detect a person sitting completely still.
Lenovo is the leading customer for its consumer electronics solution, Hagem says, though in the long term, the technology could be adopted across numerous devices as a way to ensure hands-free security. “We have significant ambitions for this sensor,” he states, adding that the SoC could be built into desktop monitors, smart speakers or other products that would benefit from presence detection.