LoRa Unlocks an Industrial Revolution | Symmetry Blog
About Savannah Cuthbert
Recently, Semtech, the leading supplier of high-performance analog and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms, and SmartConnect, a technology-enabled solutions offering that combines CertifiedSafety and Calculated Controls’ field expertise with state-of-the-art proprietary and patent pending software and hardware solutions, hosted a webinar regarding “Enabling COVID-19 Health & Safety Compliance with LoRa® Devices”. The webinar highlighted new proximity detection and contact tracing features that SmartConnect has added to their LoRa Smart Badge device to allow industrial workers to safely return to work while combatting the spread of COVID-19.
Proximity Detection & Contact Tracing
The demand for proximity detection and contact tracing was prompted by the need to address industrial construction and warehouse worker safety during the coronavirus pandemic, where group gatherings are inevitable. With the Smart Badge, industrial workers are notified via an alarm, vibration and visual cue, when they have violated the six-foot social distance rule led by the CDC–thus providing a means for real-time preventative action. Meanwhile, the contact tracing feature monitors who has interacted with who and for how long, offering a road map of potential exposure in the event that an individual tests positive for COVID-19. Having the ability to pinpoint personnel that have been potentially exposed to the virus, allows businesses to pull and test workers, instead of having to pause or terminate operations altogether.
LoRa Enables Construction Safety
In addition to the proximity detection and contact tracing features provided by the Smart Badge, SmartConnect also offers a complete suite of connected worker safety solutions; including drones, satellite imagery, weather integration, fall detection and more. But how is this all made possible in these rugged industrial environments that often have limited reception? After extensive testing, SmartConnect determined that the low power and long range wireless technology, LoRa, offers simple integration and optimal support for battery powered IoT products, along with the ability to penetrate dense urban or deep indoor environments–thus offering the ultimate solution for this specific use case.
Quick & Easy IoT Deployment
SmartConnect’s connected worker safety solutions are helpful in addressing workers compensation, offering the ability to distinguish the level of data tracking to protect individual privacy. The Smart Badge proximity detection and contact tracing industrial use case can easily be extended into other industries, including healthcare, retail, or corporate business in addressing the spread of the coronavirus. In fact, getting up and running is relatively low cost and low maintenance. According to David Freed, General Manager at SmartConnect, “These [LoRa] gateways only require about 35 Watts of power, so it’s a light bulb. We can run it on a little solar cell and be up and running within a couple weeks, rather than a couple months.”