Flexible, battery-less beacon is ucode tag certified

Issues with conventional beacons

Conventional beacons require either a built-in battery, which must be changed regularly, or a nearby outlet to continually provide the power necessary to transmit signals, requiring a great deal of effort for operations management, such as regular maintenance or extensive installation work. As most beacons have a hard cover such as plastic, there are issues with deployment to locations where it is necessary to blend into the scenery or with the danger of a beacon falling.

Furthermore, because ordinary beacons transmit IDs that were each independently systematised within a variety of industries and organisations, there is a possibility of ID duplication, limiting their use to within each independent system.

Improved potential for mass-production

With the recently developed beacon, a conductive paste is printed on an electric circuit wiring pattern, to which electric components are mounted and connected with conductive adhesive. The paste and adhesive materials were selected to enable mass-production with existing production facilities.

With the beacons currently under development, the circuit design was refined to enable mass-production with more general electric components. In addition, the drying process for the paste and connections between electric components has been thoroughly optimised for time and temperature, with the aim of more efficient production. This will shorten the previous manufacturing time, also enabling cost reductions.

Realise new location information service

This is the world's first certification of a beacon for ucode Category 2 of ucode tags from TRON Forum, an organisation dedicated to the standardisation and promotion of core technologies for ubiquitous computing. By receiving this certification, the beacon is now capable of using IDs compliant with international standards, making possible safer, more secure and highly reliable location information services, such as guidance support for the visually impaired within stations or around town, or efficient seat management for stadiums. Furthermore, beacons were previously installed only on fixed structures such as buildings, but because the new prototype features the ability to change shape, it can also be affixed to clothes and shoes, making it easier to attach to people or mobile platforms. It then becomes possible to easily grasp the location of such people and things to provide them with support.

Going forward, Fujitsu is aiming to establish a manufacturing process with even greater production efficiency, leading to early commercialisation. In addition, they plan to create new location information solutions combining this beacon with sensing technologies.