Large, heavy-industrial organisations (e.g., Military and Aerospace (Mil-Aero), Rail) operate large-footprint, complex, indoor/outdoor sites with many-thousands of mobile, high-value, high-integrity assets (people, tools, equipment, materials) that need to be managed and located over their lifetime to: maintain budgetary control, reduce theft/loss, remain safety-compliant, and increase operational efficiency. Automated asset location tracking is no longer a luxury, it is essential for successful business operations offering estimated savings of 30% asset-value/pa and driving an overall improvement in productivity.
Entotem Ltd (T/A Convert Technologies) (Convert) are launching the 12-month P.E.A.R.L. project to address this need by expanding the capabilities of their Tracking and Communication Technology (TaCT) platform and adding Intelligent Tag (iTag) services. The platform provides location and data services via RF signalling at 2.4GHz. Enhancements in the ranging technology provide improved accuracy, at reduced cost compared to competitor technologies (e.g, BluetoothLE, WiFi, GNSS), and support accurate location in mixed indoor and outdoor environments.
Expansion of the platform will support tracking of tens of thousands of tags across very large mixed sites (spanning tens of sq.km), also adding greater flexibility in location algorithms allowing effective trade-off against location accuracy, cost of installation and battery life. Novel iTag technology supports greater integration of business process and location services without overly compromising tag size or power, adding more value to location services, especially in compliance-heavy, safety-critical applications.
Convert supply their technology under license via channel partners. Astute, Convert's white-label partner, will support growth of this technology under their Astute-SALUS brand, supplying Mil-Aero, and Rail markets. P.E.A.R.L. will consolidate Convert's first-mover advantage in this emerging location technology, establishing them as a World leading technology provider, driving significant growth for Convert and partners.
The accurate tracking of assets enables greater security, improved operational efficiency and reduced wastage in many industrial sectors. For one client alone, the annual loss of not having a tracking solution in place is estimated to be over £300k per year.
Convert's solution, Range-IT can transmit data by a secure data channel, in addition to accurate location of the item, allowing greater integration of location services into existing business practices, further increasing its value.
Convert Technologies possesses the electronics, software and system-engineering skills, expertise and facilities to deliver this project, and are already collaborating with potential end-users of the technology.
Convert's objective is to develop a comprehensive, accurate, scalable tracking system to better support infectious contact-tracing measures in large venue, super-spreader locations such as trade shows and concert/sporting venues, where current solutions using Bluetooth (BLE) will be unsuitable.
Using a superior ranging technique, the system will record accurate trace information to identify close contacts at crowded venues, working alongside emerging mobile systems. The 6-month project will deliver a prototype system.
"Convert Technology Ltd. has identified a location, communication and networking technology platform based on Long Range Low Power Wireless Network (LRLP) for personal tags which is scalable, low-cost, and accurate. The novel use of this technology will enable personal communications and monitoring for vulnerable people, enabling greater independence and more active lives, whilst improving individual security and well-being.
Unlike GPS receivers (for location tracking) and GSM telephony (voice and data communications), low-power radio tags have low power consumption and battery life of up to 1 month. Location accuracy is possible to within 1m, both indoors and outdoors, specific to ground or upper (and lower) floors, over ranges up to 100m indoors and 1km outdoors. Unlike other location technologies, LRLP also offers a secure data channel to gateway and wider networks, over which voice communication will be implemented across the TaCT system, enabling a worn telephony device for the user.
The primary target market for this TaCT (tracking and communication technology) programme is the care home sector, enabling patient location, personal communications, well-being and health monitoring. TaCT addresses a critical need in the social care system for an integrated care and communication technology platform; with residential care concentrating into larger establishments, and more people living in sheltered domiciliary settings.
We propose to licence this technology to UK and non-UK companies and anticipate it leading to significant business growth of Convert Technologies. Our 12-month project addresses the Healthy Ageing challenge by adding location and health data monitoring to simplified personal communications, allowing older and vulnerable people to remain independent, in-touch and active. TaCT also provides system infrastructure to address the UK Public Health agenda for using personal data to improve health, well-being and preventing disease."