Ubisense, the market leader of RTLS location solutions, delivers mission-critical enterprise asset tracking and geospatial systems. Ubisense has rapidly emerged as the vendor of choice for high resolution, scalable, reliable, real-time location sensing systems and has over 500 customers around the world.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Latest News: Ubisense lands milestone deals with American utilities
Source: Cambume (Cambridge Business Media)
April 12, 2012
Three North American utilities are to deploy Ubisense's gas leak detection software to improve real-time surveying of over 11,500 miles of natural gas distribution and transmission pipelines.
They are the first deals of Ubisense's VeroTrack product following the integration of the InMaps acquisition made in September 2011.
"We are pleased with the traction Ubisense Vero Track is receiving – the feedback we have had from customers has been positive and we expect the momentum to continue across our Geospatial offering," said Green.
(end)
April 12, 2012
Author // Lautaro Vargas
Three North American utilities are to deploy Ubisense's gas leak detection software to improve real-time surveying of over 11,500 miles of natural gas distribution and transmission pipelines.They are the first deals of Ubisense's VeroTrack product following the integration of the InMaps acquisition made in September 2011.
"Ubisense VeroTrack automatically tracks what was surveyed where, by whom and when," said Richard Green, Ubisense CEO. "And it does so with a 15-20 per cent cost savings over current manual processes."
Ubisense has to date been more readily associate with its manufacturing and assembly tools, but Green has always stated there is a broad range of applications for its real-time location solutions.
"We are pleased with the traction Ubisense Vero Track is receiving – the feedback we have had from customers has been positive and we expect the momentum to continue across our Geospatial offering," said Green.
Ubisense says the VeroTrack software increases surveying efficiency by 20 per cent by allowing users to automatically track and mark progress, highlight problem areas, and store the data for quick retrieval, while also automatically highlighting facilities surveyed and recording gas detector readings.
(end)
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Employee Spotlight: Chris Doernbrack
Hometown: Mandeville, LA
Ubisense Location: Denver, CO
Department: RTLS Delivery and Support
Education: BSEE, MSEE (electrical engineering)
How long have you been with Ubisense and what is your background?
I joined Ubisense in 2006 after working with SAIC in the world of government contract work. Though both of my degrees stem in Electrical Engineering I took all of the required classes for Computer Engineering and several others in programming which has enabled me to work in various work environments. With SAIC I was developing automatic test stations which allowed users to connect various avionics to a computer driven test bench which would then run diagnostics on the part and callout the broken hardware. I also have several years of experience in network installation which has been quite helpful with the design and implantation of our Ubisense installations.
What’s a typical day like for you?
I don’t think that any member of the Delivery Team would ever say there is a typical day at Ubisense which is what makes the job enjoyable and challenging. When I am in the office my day includes several cups of coffee along with managing the support cases of our customers, managing the delivery of my current project(s), testing equipment, analyzing data from any given project, and any other task that comes across my desk. When I am on the road my job requires me to install and calibrate our hardware, configure the Ubisense software, manage contractors, troubleshoot networks, and just about anything else required to deliver a fully tracking RTLS system to our clients. One of the benefits of my job is that I am now capable of getting in and out of Home Depot in under 15 minutes with my extensive knowledge of the store!
What is the most significant trend you’ve seen in your field?
When I started in 2006 Ubisense was still in the early stages and most people in the world had never heard of RTLS. As people have begun to move toward the trend of needing to know everything at any moment with the introduction of smart phones, tablets, and essentially internet at our fingertips the realization of RTLS has exploded. The biggest trend in the field of RTLS that I have noticed over the past couple of years is the demand for complex software solutions that utilize our location data. Our customers love the real time views of their assets but what they are really craving is an understanding of what those assets are doing, how are they moving about, and how can I use this location data to better understand my process and improve it? In the past couple years Ubisense has been developing several applications which are proving to be highly useful to our customers and I think that moving forward our business will succeed around the development and improvement of these software products.
How did you become interested in GIS and/or RTLS?
To be quite honest I knew absolutely nothing about RTLS and to this day I still scratch my head about GIS. I happened to stumble across a job posting for an Applications Engineer and decided to read the description since I had never heard of such a position. I was immediately intrigued about Ubisense because I had recently graduated from Mercer University where I had done some basic wireless design and had always wanted to track my professors with some sort of technology so I didn’t have to trek all around campus to find them. Reading more about the company and the opportunity to get involved in a startup I immediately joined on with the company and haven’t looked back.
What was your very first job?
My very first job in the professional world was with SAIC as an electrical engineer working at the Warner Robins Air Force base in Georgia.
What do you enjoy doing in your time off?
When I have time off I love to get outdoors whether it’s hiking, snowboarding, biking or just getting in the car and heading to the mountains. My wife Catherine and I also love to travel and get down to Auburn at least once a year to watch some SEC football!
What is your favorite city?
My favorite city is New Orleans since I grew up in the nearby city of Mandeville. In my opinion you can’t beat the food, the music, and the hospitality. If New Orleans had mountains I would move back in a heartbeat.
Do you own any animals?
We have a rescue dog or as we like to say an “Alabama Road Dog”. Bear is some sort of mix of a flat coat retriever.
What one food (or meal) could you eat forever?
Shrimp Po-boys
 |
| Chris and his wife Catherine |
Friday, March 30, 2012
Ubisense Support Channel
Feeling frustrated? Having technical issues? Try our support channel!
Ubisense's Support Channel has free step-by-step tutorials available.
List of support videos available:
- How to Import an Autocad file using Goo
- How to associate a tag to an object
- Sensor LED status codes
- How to monitor spatial relationships
- How to turn a tag on and off
- How to calibrate a cell
- How to log tag locations to file
- How to configure a sensor cell
- How to use the Survey Point Finder
- How to create an area
- How to set up a DHCP server
- Hardware Installation Help
- Software Installation Help
Need more help? Email support@ubisense.net for personalized support care.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Employee Spotlight: Christian Almazan
Hometown: Rego Park, Queens, New York
Ubisense location: Denver, CO
Department: RTLS Americas, Delivery Team
Education: PhD and MS in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, College Park, BA in Computer Science from New York University
How long have you been with Ubisense and what is your background?
I joined Ubisense in November of 2010 shortly after finishing graduate school and a short stint as a research associate. My doctoral thesis focused on the development of context-aware applications. While not working on my thesis, I found the time to work as an independent contractor building website applications and working on WiFi-based location determination techniques with the research lab I worked with.
What’s a typical day like for you?
When I am not on the road and in Denver, I typically catch up with overnight e-mail and plan my day out, if I have not already done so yesterday. Typically, I am reading through documentation, source code, writing software, debugging software, handling support calls as needed, and helping around the office when needed, such as helping with shipping and receiving. If I am on the road, my day can vary greatly, but I am generally attending meetings, demoing software, and deploying and debugging installed software.
What is the most significant trend you’ve seen in your field?
The number of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) providing location information to programmers, who in turn have had numerous packages which can use the location information to provide location-relevant information to end users. In the future, I am expecting to see a wealth of data correlating location and users’ context available to programmers and architects. This can enhance the experience a user has with a computing system, whether they hand carry their devices or wear a tag and use their entire environment as their computer.
How did you become interested in RTLS?
Right before I started graduate school, I had been reading a magazine discussing applications built on top of location determination technologies. You could say I have been hooked ever since on the RTLS field!
What was your very first job?
I joined a Manhattan-based Internet Service Provider as a technical support representative during high school and college, a time period where consumers had dial-up connections and buildings shared T1 connections. When not assisting customers over the phone or e-mail, I learned how to program (I learned a little bit of PERL first, then used PHP more extensively later, I primarily assisted in building websites).
What do you enjoy doing in your time off?
Spending time with my awesome wife and our pets. I also enjoy watching auto racing, playing video games, inline skating, and listening to mashups and video game music.
What is your favorite city?
It’s a bit of a tossup between the fast-paced New York City and the quieter nature of Denver. They say you can’t take the New York out of someone, but Denver has grown on me quite a bit.
Do you have any animals?
My wife and I currently take care of an Italian Greyhound named Sammy and two rabbits named Wally and Rocky.
What food could you eat forever?
New York Style Pizza (and bagels!)
 |
| Christian and his wife in the Rocky Mountains |
Monday, February 27, 2012
Latest News: Ubisense on course to be Cambridge’s next £1bn company!
Published in Business Weekly
Feb 24, 2012
It’s 10 years since Ubisense spun out of Cambridge University’s Computer Laboratory – such fertile territory for technology greats.
The rich potential identified by the founders has every chance of ensuring the Real Time Location Systems specialist becomes Cambridge’s next £1 billion company. CEO Richard Green certainly believes the achievement is well within Ubisense’s compass.
Events in a dizzy 2011, reinforced by a stunning start to 2012, have strengthened the company’s hand. So, too, has the market intel that highlights the scale of the sectors Ubisense technology can leverage.
A recent report from Cambridge based IDTechEx forecast that the RTLS market would rise from $255 million to $293m in 2012 and then power up to nearly $4 billion in 2022. It stressed how well placed Ubisense was to exploit the opportunity. As Business Weekly recently reported, Ubisense, could increase headcount by 50 per cent in 2012 after winning a string of new orders and lining up a potential bonanza in Asia. Acquisitions could fast-track the growth process, according to Green. He says: “We went from 100 staff at the start of 2011 to 170 by the end of the year. Crystal ball stuff – we could easily be up to 250 people by the end of 2012.
“Cambridge is a great place to be with bags of talent when a technology company is in growth mode and acquisition might be a good way for us to maintain that talent pool.”
Green said that after a few false dawns for RF technology, “This time it looks like its time is ripe – the market makers certainly believe so. We had an absolutely stunning year in 2011. We thought the high spot would be the London stockmarket listing in the summer but between then and the end of the year the orders just continued to flow. New contracts are still coming in.”
Prime among these was the signing of a new global licensing agreement with Airbus. Ubisense tracking technology is now installed at 10 Airbus sites – up from three at the start of the relationship.
The relationship with BMW goes from strength to strength – the latest installation being a significant one in China, given the company’s growth ambitions in Asia.
At the end of 2011, Ubisense landed a contract with another big German automotive company. And the cup was overflowing when Ubisense clinched a new relationship with PACCAR, the multinational truckmaker headquartered in Washington State.
Ubisense then broke into Korea – courtesy a landmark Asian deal with Hyundai. An alliance with Jaguar Land Rover, which has its own ambitions for growth throughout Asia, could also prove important.
The sheer diversity of major markets in which Ubisense’s tracking technology holds a USP may prove the most accurate barometer of its future fortunes.
The company was pleased to establish a stronghold in the energy market with two important contracts. It won a landmark deal with partners S3ID for AGIP – the Italian automotive gasoline and diesel retailer subsidiary of multinational petroleum company Eni. This followed its success with partner, PA Consulting Group, in winning a contract with a large energy utility in Washington State.
Ubisense’s collaboration with Atlas Copco is meanwhile opening up some terrific business opportunities in the field of automotive.
In the past six months, Ubisense’s Tool Location System (TLS) solution has been deployed by six new Atlas Copco customers including BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Audi, GM, Hyundai and Paccar. The sizes of the installations vary from single production work stations through to multi-global site installations.
Green said: “The fact that one in every three cars in the world is assembled with Atlas Copco tools highlights the enormous growth opportunity for the TLS, particularly as the solution is now being sold through the Atlas Copco catalogue providing increased exposure to a greater number of automotive manufacturers across multiple geographies.
“As the TLS is adopted more broadly, we are finding that manufacturers require additional applications relevant to the assembly line, further endorsing our RTLS solution in the automotive industry. It also highlights the important benefits that can be driven by collaborating with the world’s leading industrial tool manufacturer.”
The TLS is comparable to small scale GPS but instead of using satellites, customers use sensors inside their manufacturing plants to monitor the position of tools and assets in real-time and with precision accuracy to 15cm.
This allows error-proofing to be taken to the next level and allows customers to ensure that tightening is performed reliably at the correct tool setting and at the correct work station.
The solution is compelling for automotive manufacturers as it provides a range of benefits for the assembly line floor – including increased productivity, improved quality and, importantly, helps to reduce costs. The TLS is now available from Atlas Copco’s worldwide application and customer centres and installations in North America and Europe have already been achieved.
Ubisense’s financial transparency and clear focus have already made the company something of a darling with London stockmarket investors. More remarkably for any hi-tech business, while its technology has continued to evolve Ubisense hasn’t had to pivot to the contortionist levels forced on some of its Cambridge contemporaries to gain global market traction.
Strong and sustainable international growth will be the likely – and thoroughly deserved – reward.
http://www.ubisense.net/
Friday, February 24, 2012
When Should a Transit Agency Start to Worry About its Technology Infrastructure?
By Adrian Jennings
Published in MassTransit Magazine
Feb 9, 2012
Technology infrastructure in a transit yard may not be at the top of most people’s minds, but there are some simple indicators that suggest when it’s time to be worried.
Indoor location systems are becoming widely adopted to solve all of the problems with a single solution. These location systems use sensors and tags to keep track of vehicles indoors just like GPS satellites and tags keep track of them outdoors. By knowing the precise location of vehicles and integrating this with information from maintenance, dispatch, scheduling and vehicle equipment databases, operators are gaining new visibility into their operations and control over their fleet of vehicles.
Yard Visibility
Does “yard visibility” mean referring to a handwritten markup sheet generated by a manual yard audit? Then it’s time to be worried about your technology infrastructure.
Markup sheets provide a simple visual reference for understanding where vehicles are located, but suffer from two key limitations: in any manual, repetitive process like a yard audit, mistakes can be made, and given the constant movement of vehicles, the information from any given yard audit is quickly out of date.
An indoor location system can completely replace manual audits and markup sheets with an automatic, real-time vehicle location system. As mentioned, such a system operates much like GPS, with tags on vehicles being tracked not by satellites (which cannot see indoors) but by sensors mounted in the ceiling of the yard. This network of sensors updates the location of vehicles several times a minute with an accuracy of just a few feet. The result is an electronic markup sheet that shows the exact location and identity of all vehicles in the yard and updates that information constantly.
This is the core value of an indoor location system, and it was this that led Metro Transit in Minneapolis to be among the first to adopt such a system. The yard audit task typically took between 30 and 60 minutes, and with buses constantly in motion the data required constant updating. Audits were performed on an almost hourly basis, and were often out-of-date before a single round of the facility was complete. The inefficiencies of this process were clear to Metro Transit at different levels: in the time taken to collect the data; in the effects of inaccurate bus location data such as poor on-time departures due to blocked buses; and in the time wasted by maintenance staff searching for vehicles.
In order to realize the full potential of its location system, Metro Transit was quick to realize that having bus location information in electronic form created an opportunity to bring together multiple software systems.
Software Application Integration
Does software application integration mean running different applications on different computers and manually entering information from one system into the other? Then it’s time to be worried about your technology infrastructure.
Once the markup sheet is in electronic form, a huge amount of added value can be incorporated into the yard map view. The first software integration point is to connect the electronic map with the vehicle equipment database so that a simple mouse-click on any vehicle icon reveals a wealth of information: bus length, diesel or hybrid, wheelchair accessible, etc. Some of these attributes can also be indicated visually using different icons and colors making the markup sheet a rich source of useful information-at-a-glance. Need the next available hybrid ready to be dispatched? Electronic surveillance contractor needs a map of all buses with DVRs? That information can reliably be available all the time.
Metro Transit went one step beyond this and also integrated information from the dispatch and maintenance systems. This allowed the map display to show vehicle attributes and also route assignments and maintenance status. For maintenance, the bus icon would change to show a minor or critical fault so that a dispatcher had immediate feedback if a vehicle was not ready to be assigned.
Coordinated Operations
Does “coordinated operations” mean picking up the phone or leaving a note to pass critical information between departments? Then it’s time to be worried about your technology infrastructure.
When the Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL) public transportation service in Longueuil, Quebec, adopted an indoor location system, the technology had become more than a yard information tool: it was now a yard automation tool. With a rich set of integrated data deeply linked to bus location, RTL was able to streamline many operations simultaneously improving quality of service and efficiency.
At RTL, the electronic map display can not only be used to provide data about vehicles, but also to perform operations like assigning buses to routes, assigning drivers to buses, etc. To assign a bus to a route, a dispatcher simply has to drag-and-drop a bus icon onto one of the routes displayed in a list. Any bus showing a critical fault will immediately be rejected to prevent safety issues. When a driver arrives at the start of a shift he approaches an electronic kiosk where he swipes his smart card to be given his route and bus assignment, along with a map showing where the bus is located. Digital displays throughout the yard help direct him to the bus to expedite pullout.
This is a typical example of how operations can be coordinated once all information is integrated into one place along with the exact location of the vehicle. These operations can be as diverse as dispatch, maintenance, revenue drop, cleaning, fueling, etc. As more information is integrated into a single application, more decision making can be automated.
Intuitive User Interface
Does “Intuitive GUI” remind you more of the life forms evolving in your fridge than the user interfaces for your current computer applications? Then it’s time to be worried about your technology infrastructure.
Most people today have become rather adept at using graphical user interfaces (GUIs), and a well-thought-out GUI can make your computer experiences much simpler.
A well-designed indoor location system has just such an interface: displaying vehicle location and identification over a map of the facility or facilities. As mentioned previously, the icons that represent vehicles are often color-coded or overlaid with other symbology to indicate critical information just by looking at the map. Maintenance status, vehicle type and home-garage for multi-garage operations are all typical examples of information that are displayed graphically.
Today, indoor location systems are replacing manual markup sheets with reliable, up-to-date electronic maps showing all vehicles across one or many facilities. By integrating this information with other data sources, indoor location systems are streamlining and error-proofing dispatch and pullout, improving maintenance efficiency and optimizing parking to avoid time wasted due to blockage. But what of the future?
A Better Way
When you are surrounded by paperwork, trying to use computer applications that frustrate more than they help, the best way to know what’s going on is to get up and walk the yard. Do you think that there must be a better way to manage a yard? Then it’s time to get excited about your technology infrastructure.
Indoor location systems are transforming yard operations first by providing yard information, then yard automation. But how far can that go? A few “day in the life” vignettes can help illustrate where indoor location systems can take yard management.
The driver arrives at the yard at the start of his shift and approaches the electronic kiosk. When he swipes his smart card he not only clocks-in for his shift, but also receives his day’s driving assignment and a map to the bus he has been allocated. As he walks through the garage, digital signs help direct him to his assigned bus. When he reaches the bus he’s happy to see the one parked in front just pulling out: no blockage and no late-pullout today. On his inspection of the bus he notices a flat tire: this bus is going nowhere. He reports this using his mobile device — a few taps on the touchscreen and he is given his new bus assignment and a map of its location. This time there is no blockage and no flat tire, and he pulls out on time.
During the day he notices a vibration through the steering column and reports it on his touchscreen console. When he arrives at the yard at the end of the shift he is directed to the next available revenue drop, then given instructions and a map about where to park.
The dispatcher has already defined the route requirements when the day starts. Each route has been flagged with vehicle requirements: one route through the city center, for example, requires a hybrid bus with a particular vinyl wrap advertising an upcoming movie. When all of the route requirements are defined, the auto-dispatch module takes a few moments to allocate buses to routes based on the bus type and configuration, maintenance status and position in the yard.
During the pullout process one driver reports a flat tire, immediately activating the auto-dispatch module. The bus is flagged for maintenance pickup and the entire remaining dispatch plan is redone to ensure that the correct buses still pull out on time and onto the correct routes. Account is taken of the fact that the disabled bus is now blocking all buses in the row behind it, and all affected drivers get their revised bus assignments on their mobile devices.
At end of day, maintenance reports one bus has a critical fault causing a steering vibration and the estimated repair time is 22 hours. The auto-dispatch module updates the pullout plan, and the auto parking module adjusts its parking assignments for the rest of the buses to ensure minimum overnight shuffling.
The maintenance worker gets an alert on his mobile device that a bus has a flat tire and is directed to its location. The wheel can be changed on-site, and when complete he registers the fault as rectified and the auto-dispatch system reincorporates that vehicle into its plan.
Later that day he receives another alert directing him to the right location to pick up a bus with a steering column vibration. When he starts the bus he is notified that diesel pump #3 happened to be free and is directed to take the opportunity to fill the tank. When he arrives at the pump, the bus identity and type is automatically registered and the pump activated since the fuel type is a match. When full, the pump flags the bus as refueled and records the amount of diesel used into the bus’s record.
So, how far into the future is the vision of the smart yard? The building blocks are already in place and software applications are maturing rapidly. The fundamental foundation of location systems and data integration are already available, with the automation modules either already available or in development.
For the complete article, visit www.MassTransitmag.com/10614025. MT
Published in MassTransit Magazine
Feb 9, 2012
Technology infrastructure in a transit yard may not be at the top of most people’s minds, but there are some simple indicators that suggest when it’s time to be worried.
Indoor location systems are becoming widely adopted to solve all of the problems with a single solution. These location systems use sensors and tags to keep track of vehicles indoors just like GPS satellites and tags keep track of them outdoors. By knowing the precise location of vehicles and integrating this with information from maintenance, dispatch, scheduling and vehicle equipment databases, operators are gaining new visibility into their operations and control over their fleet of vehicles.
Yard Visibility
Does “yard visibility” mean referring to a handwritten markup sheet generated by a manual yard audit? Then it’s time to be worried about your technology infrastructure.
Markup sheets provide a simple visual reference for understanding where vehicles are located, but suffer from two key limitations: in any manual, repetitive process like a yard audit, mistakes can be made, and given the constant movement of vehicles, the information from any given yard audit is quickly out of date.
An indoor location system can completely replace manual audits and markup sheets with an automatic, real-time vehicle location system. As mentioned, such a system operates much like GPS, with tags on vehicles being tracked not by satellites (which cannot see indoors) but by sensors mounted in the ceiling of the yard. This network of sensors updates the location of vehicles several times a minute with an accuracy of just a few feet. The result is an electronic markup sheet that shows the exact location and identity of all vehicles in the yard and updates that information constantly.
This is the core value of an indoor location system, and it was this that led Metro Transit in Minneapolis to be among the first to adopt such a system. The yard audit task typically took between 30 and 60 minutes, and with buses constantly in motion the data required constant updating. Audits were performed on an almost hourly basis, and were often out-of-date before a single round of the facility was complete. The inefficiencies of this process were clear to Metro Transit at different levels: in the time taken to collect the data; in the effects of inaccurate bus location data such as poor on-time departures due to blocked buses; and in the time wasted by maintenance staff searching for vehicles.
In order to realize the full potential of its location system, Metro Transit was quick to realize that having bus location information in electronic form created an opportunity to bring together multiple software systems.
Does software application integration mean running different applications on different computers and manually entering information from one system into the other? Then it’s time to be worried about your technology infrastructure.
Once the markup sheet is in electronic form, a huge amount of added value can be incorporated into the yard map view. The first software integration point is to connect the electronic map with the vehicle equipment database so that a simple mouse-click on any vehicle icon reveals a wealth of information: bus length, diesel or hybrid, wheelchair accessible, etc. Some of these attributes can also be indicated visually using different icons and colors making the markup sheet a rich source of useful information-at-a-glance. Need the next available hybrid ready to be dispatched? Electronic surveillance contractor needs a map of all buses with DVRs? That information can reliably be available all the time.
Metro Transit went one step beyond this and also integrated information from the dispatch and maintenance systems. This allowed the map display to show vehicle attributes and also route assignments and maintenance status. For maintenance, the bus icon would change to show a minor or critical fault so that a dispatcher had immediate feedback if a vehicle was not ready to be assigned.
Coordinated Operations
Does “coordinated operations” mean picking up the phone or leaving a note to pass critical information between departments? Then it’s time to be worried about your technology infrastructure.
When the Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL) public transportation service in Longueuil, Quebec, adopted an indoor location system, the technology had become more than a yard information tool: it was now a yard automation tool. With a rich set of integrated data deeply linked to bus location, RTL was able to streamline many operations simultaneously improving quality of service and efficiency.
At RTL, the electronic map display can not only be used to provide data about vehicles, but also to perform operations like assigning buses to routes, assigning drivers to buses, etc. To assign a bus to a route, a dispatcher simply has to drag-and-drop a bus icon onto one of the routes displayed in a list. Any bus showing a critical fault will immediately be rejected to prevent safety issues. When a driver arrives at the start of a shift he approaches an electronic kiosk where he swipes his smart card to be given his route and bus assignment, along with a map showing where the bus is located. Digital displays throughout the yard help direct him to the bus to expedite pullout.
This is a typical example of how operations can be coordinated once all information is integrated into one place along with the exact location of the vehicle. These operations can be as diverse as dispatch, maintenance, revenue drop, cleaning, fueling, etc. As more information is integrated into a single application, more decision making can be automated.
Intuitive User Interface
Does “Intuitive GUI” remind you more of the life forms evolving in your fridge than the user interfaces for your current computer applications? Then it’s time to be worried about your technology infrastructure.
Most people today have become rather adept at using graphical user interfaces (GUIs), and a well-thought-out GUI can make your computer experiences much simpler.
A well-designed indoor location system has just such an interface: displaying vehicle location and identification over a map of the facility or facilities. As mentioned previously, the icons that represent vehicles are often color-coded or overlaid with other symbology to indicate critical information just by looking at the map. Maintenance status, vehicle type and home-garage for multi-garage operations are all typical examples of information that are displayed graphically.
Today, indoor location systems are replacing manual markup sheets with reliable, up-to-date electronic maps showing all vehicles across one or many facilities. By integrating this information with other data sources, indoor location systems are streamlining and error-proofing dispatch and pullout, improving maintenance efficiency and optimizing parking to avoid time wasted due to blockage. But what of the future?
A Better Way
When you are surrounded by paperwork, trying to use computer applications that frustrate more than they help, the best way to know what’s going on is to get up and walk the yard. Do you think that there must be a better way to manage a yard? Then it’s time to get excited about your technology infrastructure.
Indoor location systems are transforming yard operations first by providing yard information, then yard automation. But how far can that go? A few “day in the life” vignettes can help illustrate where indoor location systems can take yard management.
The driver arrives at the yard at the start of his shift and approaches the electronic kiosk. When he swipes his smart card he not only clocks-in for his shift, but also receives his day’s driving assignment and a map to the bus he has been allocated. As he walks through the garage, digital signs help direct him to his assigned bus. When he reaches the bus he’s happy to see the one parked in front just pulling out: no blockage and no late-pullout today. On his inspection of the bus he notices a flat tire: this bus is going nowhere. He reports this using his mobile device — a few taps on the touchscreen and he is given his new bus assignment and a map of its location. This time there is no blockage and no flat tire, and he pulls out on time.
During the day he notices a vibration through the steering column and reports it on his touchscreen console. When he arrives at the yard at the end of the shift he is directed to the next available revenue drop, then given instructions and a map about where to park.
The dispatcher has already defined the route requirements when the day starts. Each route has been flagged with vehicle requirements: one route through the city center, for example, requires a hybrid bus with a particular vinyl wrap advertising an upcoming movie. When all of the route requirements are defined, the auto-dispatch module takes a few moments to allocate buses to routes based on the bus type and configuration, maintenance status and position in the yard.
During the pullout process one driver reports a flat tire, immediately activating the auto-dispatch module. The bus is flagged for maintenance pickup and the entire remaining dispatch plan is redone to ensure that the correct buses still pull out on time and onto the correct routes. Account is taken of the fact that the disabled bus is now blocking all buses in the row behind it, and all affected drivers get their revised bus assignments on their mobile devices.
At end of day, maintenance reports one bus has a critical fault causing a steering vibration and the estimated repair time is 22 hours. The auto-dispatch module updates the pullout plan, and the auto parking module adjusts its parking assignments for the rest of the buses to ensure minimum overnight shuffling.
The maintenance worker gets an alert on his mobile device that a bus has a flat tire and is directed to its location. The wheel can be changed on-site, and when complete he registers the fault as rectified and the auto-dispatch system reincorporates that vehicle into its plan.
Later that day he receives another alert directing him to the right location to pick up a bus with a steering column vibration. When he starts the bus he is notified that diesel pump #3 happened to be free and is directed to take the opportunity to fill the tank. When he arrives at the pump, the bus identity and type is automatically registered and the pump activated since the fuel type is a match. When full, the pump flags the bus as refueled and records the amount of diesel used into the bus’s record.
So, how far into the future is the vision of the smart yard? The building blocks are already in place and software applications are maturing rapidly. The fundamental foundation of location systems and data integration are already available, with the automation modules either already available or in development.
For the complete article, visit www.MassTransitmag.com/10614025. MT
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Snapshot or movie? Exploring the differences between RFID and RTLS
The terms Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Real-Time Location System (RTLS) can cause confusion since they are often used interchangeably. In fact, they mean something very different and RFID and RTLS solutions are used in very different ways.
RFID is the term used to describe the wireless retrieval of an identification code from an electronic tag using a radio signal emitted from the tag. These systems were developed to solve some of the shortcomings of barcodes, which can only be read at very short range, are easily damaged and become unreadable - if you can’t see the barcode you can’t read it. RFID systems solve this problem by using a radio signal rather than an optical scanner, and that radio signal can be read over longer ranges, even when no line-of sight exists between the tag and the reader. RFID tags come in two varieties: passive and active. Passive tags use no battery, and instead derive power from the radio signal emitted by a reader. These tags can truly be thought of as “next generation barcodes.” By contrast, active tags are powered by batteries, and as a result can transmit signals much further (10s and even more than hundred meters). This type of tag has advantages in certain situations but the battery makes them more expensive both from a manufacturing and maintenance standpoint.
Degrees of location
Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) not only retrieve the ID of an electronic tag but also pinpoint its location in real-time. In order to do this, the signal from the tag is received at multiple sensor locations which use methods such as triangulation or multilateration to calculate the tag position. This seems to be very different from the definition of an RFID system. So why is there confusion? The confusion comes from defining exactly what is meant by “location information” and the following examples helps to illustrate the point.
Area location
Two RFID readers are placed at either end of a warehouse populated as above with active tags. Both readers hear all tags, but they are connected via a network to a software application which compares the signal strength received. For a given tag, this application determines that the northern reader is receiving far more signal than the southern reader, and determines that the tag is therefore in the northern part of the warehouse. Again “in the northern part of the warehouse” is location information derived from a RFID system comprising multiple readers and active tags.
Choke point location
A single RFID reader is placed over a doorway, under which items pass which are identified using passive tags. The reader can only detect tags that are within 1,5 meters (due to their short range), confirming that any tag that it does hear must be in the vicinity of the doorway. Each tag ID is recorded as “at the doorway” along with the time at which it was detected. In this case “at the doorway” is location information derived from a RFID system comprising a single reader and passive tags.
Real-time location
A network of RTLS sensors is distributed throughout a building, and items in the building are identified using active tags. Anywhere in the building, multiple sensors can receive the signal from a given tag and measure either its signal strength, its time of arrival or its angle of arrival (or sometimes more than one of these). This information is passed via a network to an application that calculates the tags coordinates in the building. In this case “coordinates in the building” is location information derived from a network of RTLS sensors and active tags.
Degrees of location
Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) not only retrieve the ID of an electronic tag but also pinpoint its location in real-time. In order to do this, the signal from the tag is received at multiple sensor locations which use methods such as triangulation or multilateration to calculate the tag position. This seems to be very different from the definition of an RFID system. So why is there confusion? The confusion comes from defining exactly what is meant by “location information” and the following examples helps to illustrate the point.
Area location
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| RFID systems only provide limited location information |
A single RFID reader is placed at the center of a warehouse,and items are identified using long range RFID tags. Since the reader cannot physically hear tags outside the warehouse, it makes a list of all the tags that it can hear, and labels them as “in the warehouse.” In this case “in the warehouse” is location information derived from an RFID system comprising a single reader and active tags.
Proximity location
Choke point location
A single RFID reader is placed over a doorway, under which items pass which are identified using passive tags. The reader can only detect tags that are within 1,5 meters (due to their short range), confirming that any tag that it does hear must be in the vicinity of the doorway. Each tag ID is recorded as “at the doorway” along with the time at which it was detected. In this case “at the doorway” is location information derived from a RFID system comprising a single reader and passive tags.
Real-time location
A network of RTLS sensors is distributed throughout a building, and items in the building are identified using active tags. Anywhere in the building, multiple sensors can receive the signal from a given tag and measure either its signal strength, its time of arrival or its angle of arrival (or sometimes more than one of these). This information is passed via a network to an application that calculates the tags coordinates in the building. In this case “coordinates in the building” is location information derived from a network of RTLS sensors and active tags.
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| RTLS allows users to identify products at any stage of the assembly line and to control processes based on the relative location of products, tools, and mobile devices. |
A better definition
These examples make both the reason for the confusion and the solution clear. Any system can be thought of as providing “location information” - even a barcode scanner. But a better definition of the term “RTLS” can immediately distinguish these systems from RFID systems: A Real-Time Location System is any system using a network of sensors to determine the coordinates of a tag in real-time, anywhere within an instrumented area. Using this definition we immediately understand that “in the warehouse” and “at the door just a minute ago” do not fall under the definition of RTLS. Rather “on shelf B7 on aisle 9 of the warehouse” and “entering through the door and turning towards aisle 3” are the hallmarks of location information delivered by an RTLS solution.This definition also makes no mention of radio frequency on purpose. RFID very clearly means radio frequency ID, without exception.
One further differentiator is that RTLS tags and sensors, whereas predominantly RF, can also use other technologies such as infrared and ultrasound. A good way to think about the difference is to think of RFID as a fixed still camera, and RTLS as a panning video camera. The fixed still camera can provide information about the scene within its field of view at the time a photo is taken. By contrast, a video camera that can pan and zoom provides continuous, real-time scene information over the entire area. This is the fundamental difference between RFID and RTLS: snapshot vs. movie. A series of snapshots at strategic times and locations can help build a picture of what was going on in the past, but only a video camera with a live feed can give real-time information about what’s going on, all the time. That’s the power of RTLS.
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Employee Spotlight: Deb Miller
Name: Deb MillerHometown: Vancouver, B.C.
Ubisense Location: Denver, CO
Ubisense Department: Geospatial
Education: Master’s Degree in Computer Science; Master’s Diploma in Cognitive Science
How long have you been with Ubisense and what is your background?
Deb: I started with Ubisense in 2004, but have been in GIS now for 15 years. I originally started with GeoData Solutions, which was one of the first Smallworld consulting companies in the U.S. After that, I ran a small consulting company before finally joining Ubisense.
In university, I specialized in Artificial Intelligence, and during my master’s degree, I developed a neural net to control lighting in a house. It was actually installed in my professor’s experimental house, and to test it, I had to walk around and flap my arms to set off the motion detectors.
What’s a typical day like for you?
Deb: Currently I’m working on a major installation of Smallworld GIS and PowerOn Outage Management at a north west utility.
What is the most significant trend you’ve seen in your field?
Deb: GIS has followed the same trend as technology in general: Geospatial solutions have been getting faster, better, more affordable, and more accessible. GIS solutions used to exist only on expensive IBM mainframes; now they’re embedded everywhere, in every phone and tablet computer. MyWorld pushes that trend even further, bringing enterprise GIS solutions to any web-enabled device. It’s a pretty exciting time to be in the industry.
How did you become interested in GIS?
Deb: When I finished my master’s degree – and gave up my career as an arm flapper – I ended up in GIS almost by accident. Russ Chandler, a friend, was starting GeoData and offered me a position. I planned to stay a couple of years, but got hooked on Smallworld and never looked back. I was fortunate to start on some very interesting work; for example, I became the chief architect of the PowerOn network model, which provided some major design and mathematical challenges.
What was your very first job?
Deb: My first job, in high school and first year in college, was a librarian for a children’s library. When I wasn’t shelving books or studying, I got a chance to read some serious classics; my favorite: Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are.
What do you enjoy doing in your time off?
Deb: I like to spend time outdoors – mostly hiking and biking; especially winter hiking. I enjoy travel and spent a year in Europe, the middle east, and North Africa. I was also fortunate to be able to spend 4 months in South America, mainly camping and hiking in the national parks and wilderness areas of Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile.
What is your favorite city? Deb: It’s really tough to choose just one city, so I’ll name a few: Florence, Italy (art and food), Goreme, Turkey (amazing rock formations and friendliest people), Chachas, Peru (this small village is so remote it has no roads or electricity, and can only reached by a grueling all-day trek down a steep canyon, and back up the other side).
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| Jumping a crevasse |
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Exploring How RTLS Can Begin to Reduce the 7 Wastes of Production
By Lyndsey Heavner, Ubisense France
The concept of Lean Manufacturing is no longer just buzz terminology. Lean Manufacturing concepts are proven and practiced approaches to holistically improve operations through the streamlining of processes via the reduction of specific wastes. Coming from the Japanese philosophies of the Toyota Production System, the original categorisation of "wastes" within production resulted in 7 Wastes - Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Waiting, Overproduction, Over processing, and Defects. (A helpful acronym to remember the 7 Wastes is “TIM WOOD”.) Without going into to much detail of what each of these wastes are, we can effectively say that having any of these wastes in a production facility adds up to one business issue: more money is tied up in goods, assets and labour than necessary. So, reducing the 7 Wastes means reducing costs, and in today's economy, that's big money.
Real-time Process Tracking
Tracking parts or components as they move through an assembly process will provide visibility on a few of the mentioned waste areas. Let's start with Inventory. At a very basic level, real-time process tracking ultimately enables the accurate identification of all work in progress (WIP) in a factory. Visibility of WIP = visibility of inventory, both in progress part inventory and parts in stock. Lean philosophy is all about moving to single part flow and just-in-time manufacturing – i.e, reducing the ‘waste’ of on hand inventory. Having stock on hand - either pre-process parts, excessive work in process inventory, or finalised goods in stock – means more cash has been invested than necessary to keep the processes moving. High inventory levels are commonly a result of inaccurate or poor inventory visibility, causing (and also resulting from) poor demand planning (i.e., the “Bullwhip Effect”). This is exactly where real-time tracking of components can help! Using location information, it’s possible to begin to monitor and track part flow accurately, unveiling areas where unnecessary inventory build-up is occurring. Are there parts in non-value added areas - i.e, waiting to be processed? Are there finished goods building up in stock (Overproduction)? Is there a surplus of parts at 50% complete (preempting Overproduction)? As you can see, having accurate visibility of your process and inventory also starts to shed light on the other wastes as well.
Real-time Asset Tracking
The waste of Inventory is not just about part stock; it’s also about asset inventory, such as logistics media, specific tools or other equipment used to keep goods flowing through the process. Ubisense location-driven manufacturing solutions can also provide visibility of your asset inventory, allowing you to understand what further wastes you can reduce. Using location information gathered about tracked asset inventory, it’s possible to accurately analyse asset usage. Are assets waiting to be used, or are they used to their full capacity? With real-time tracking it’s possible to calculate the “down time” of assets and analyse if all the media, equipment, tools in stock are truly needed, which in turn can drive an inventory reduction. Additionally, real-time tracking of assets can reveal other wastes within operational processes that may not be evident until you actually see them. Think about logistic movements. Are transport flows as lean as they can be? How far are good transported and how often they are transported? Using historical location information, “spaghetti diagrams” can be built, depicting the travel paths of tracked asset. Seeing how assets are truly utilised enables the analysis of motion and transportation which paves the way for further waste reduction via flow optimisation, and perhaps even plant layout optimisation.
The few points that have been discussed are just starting to scratch the surface of how real-time location solutions can drive waste reduction and process improvements in manufacturing. Location information provides visibility, and visibility is necessary to begin to measure current the state of operations and effectively analyse areas where wastes exist.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Employee Spotlight: Corey Holland
Hometown: Montezuma, Iowa
Ubisense Location: Denver, CO
Ubisense Department: RTLS Pre-sales
Education: Electrical Engineering / MBA
How long have you been with Ubisense and what is your background?
Corey: I began working with Ubisense in March of 2011. I spent the prior five years working in the on-board digital surveillance field for transit in both Bus and Rail.
What’s a typical day like for you?
Corey: If I’m in the office then a typical day begins early here in the Denver Tech Center (early enough to beat the majority of the rush hour). Once I’m settled in it’s time to catch up with the East Coast, discuss pipelines and upcoming visits before getting a chance to make it to that second cup of coffee! Staying up with the RFP distribution groups and catching up on emails can consume much of the morning. Preparing presentations, RFP completion, proposals and keeping up with Harry Pappas consumes the rest of the day!
What is the most significant trend you’ve seen in your field?
Corey: Over the course of the last few years (specifically with my previous employer) seeing the addition of RTLS in transit facilities and the fact that it continues to grow would be the most obvious and significant trend. The value of the services our product provides is unmatched when compared with wasted dollars and time savings.
How did you become interested in RTLS in Transit?
Corey: I didn’t know it but I became interested in RTLS in transit during my first visit to the Chicago garages five years ago with my previous employer. As contractors for the City of Chicago my crew and I wasted ridiculous amounts of time simply attempting to locate specific buses inside the garages.
What was your very first job?
Corey: My very first job was as an apprentice at a fiberglass/composite manufacturing company in Central Iowa. I did everything from picking up and delivering finished goods to sweeping the floor and painting the offices. I was however lucky enough to get a chance to work on not one, but two projects with the Walt Disney company building amusement park rides that are still extremely popular today.
What do you enjoy doing in your time off?
Corey: Of course spending time with my wonderful wife and three children (8, 7 and 3) as well as supporting their athletic endeavors and participating in their after school activities. I also enjoy golfing and Colorado State Football (although not so much this year…)
What is your favorite city?
Corey: This is a tough one as I’ve spent the majority of the last 15 years of my professional life traveling throughout the United States. Having been to quite a few I would have to pick Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It’s unmatched skiing and close proximity to Yellowstone National Park make it a close second to living here in Denver!
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| Corey with his family |
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Happy Holidays
On behalf of the entire Ubisense team, we would like to thank you for your support and business in 2011. We are excited for the upcoming year and look forward to sharing it with you.
All the best to you and your families during this
joyous holiday season!
Sincerely,
The Ubisense Team
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Ubisense Ugly Sweater Holiday Party
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| Jay Cadman, Corey Holland, and Andy Schuerzinger |
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| Peter Batty, Deb Miller, and Russ Chandler |
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| Chris Doernbrack and son, Jack |
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| Our magician tricking all the ladies |
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| Peter Batty guessing how many boxes are in the one box |
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| Americas GIS team: Lance McGee, Scott Casey, Kyle Eagen, John Fowler, Dave Harris |
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| Our magician tricking Russ Chandler |
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| Christian Almazan, winner of the "box game" |
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| Scott Casey showing off his muscles and his ugly sweater |
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| Aubree Topai (right) with friend Lyndsey |
Friday, December 09, 2011
Ubisense Product Spotlight
Ubisense Series 9000 Compact Tag
Korean-certified compact location tag for personnel and assets
Korean-certified compact location tag for personnel and assets
Specifications
Dimensions: 38mm x 38mm x 16.5 mm
Weight: 25g (0.9oz)
Temperature: Standard -20 C to 60 C (-4 F to 140 F)
Humidity: 0 to 95%, non-condensing
Overview
The Ubisense Series 9000 Korean-certified Compact Tag is a small, rugged device that, when attached to assets or worn by people, allows them to be located to an accuracy of 15cm in 3D in real time. It is designed for use in a variety of different environments, including industrial sites. In addition to its tracking capabilities, it includes additional features such as an LED for easy identification, a motion detector to instantly activate a stationary tag and a push button to trigger events.
Qualities
- Accurate location: The tag transmits ultra-wideband (UWB) radio pulses which can be used by the Ubisense location system to find its position to within 15cm in 3D.
- Two-way communication: Ubisense tags employ a unique dual-radio architecture- in addition to the one-way UWB radio used for tracking, tags have a conventional bi=-directional 2.4 GHz radio for control and telemetry.
- Flexible update rates: The Ubisense software platform allows the tag's update rate to be dynamically and automatically varied depending on the tag activity. When stationary, tags sleep to conserve power, an inbuilt motion detector ensure the tag transmits again when moved.
- User interaction features: The tag has a button to provide context-sensitive input to interactive applications.
- Long battery life: The tag's low current consumption and power management techniques result in long battery lifetimes. It has an expected lifetime of over four years, depending on application characteristics.
- Rugged and adaptable: The Compact Tag is designed to be rugged for use in harsh industrial environments. It is mechanically robust, dust and water resistant, and can be securely mounted using a variety of attachment mechanisms.
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Ubisense Support Goes Viral
In an attempt to both reduce support calls and to impart more knowledge to the customer, the US support team has begun developing short instructional videos on such topics as software installation, hardware installation, calibration, etc. such that customer can view specific topics at their own pace and visually see the required steps for the particular task. Many times we find that our customers overlook a very small step during setup and configuration of the Ubisense system and the videos allow them to go step by step through an entire setup with screen shots, live examples, and tips on how to accomplish key tasks. The feedback thus far has been very encouraging and more video training tutorials are currently in the works.
Please visit our support channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/UbisenseSupport and make sure to register as a user so that you can be updated as more videos become available.
Author: Chris Doernbrack, Applications Engineer, Denver Office
Thursday, December 01, 2011
Employee Spotlight: Jim Stippich
Hometown: Hettinger, ND
Ubisense Location: Denver, CO
Ubisense Department: Americas RTLS Delivery Team
Education: BS in Computer Science, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD
How long have you been with Ubisense and what is your background?
Jim: I started with Ubisense in July 2010. My background revolves around technology (mainly software dealing with locations) and goes like this...
1. I started with Hughes Aircraft Company working on satellite systems
2. I than moved to a GIS consulting company that specializes in utilities
3. Following that I worked at Smallworld/GE for 10 years
4. And started my own business for 3 years
5. Until I finally joined Ubisense in 2010
What's a typical day like for you?
Jim: If I'm on-site than I am usually working on installations and troubleshooting in bus/locomotive garages. If I'm in the office than my day is divided amongst conference calls, assembling/testing equipment and documenting and tracking ingoing/outgoing inventory.
What is the most significant trend you’ve seen in your field?
Jim: Applications becoming more mobile – still some room for growth, but its heading in that direction.
How did you become interested in RTLS?
Jim: I have always worked in location based technology, so RTLS looked like a space where I could contribute and learn something at the same time.
What was your very first job?
Jim: My very first job was operating heavy equipment for my grandfather’s construction company.
What do you enjoy doing in your time off?
Jim: Bicycling and rock climbing
What is your favorite city?
Jim: This isn't an exact city, but anywhere on Hawaii.
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| Christian and Jim working at the Denver office. |
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Ubisense Product Spotlight
Ubisense Series 7000 Trimode Tag
Ruggedized location tag for indoor and outdoor asset location
Specifications
Dimensions: 71mm x 64mm x 47mm
Weight: 4.5 oz
Temperature: -20 C to 85 C (-4 F to 185 F)
Humidity: 0 to 95%, non condensing
Operating range: Ultra-wideband link: Up to 160m*/2.4 GHz link: Over 300m (with directional antenna on receiver)
*Dependent on system configuration and environment
Overview
The Ubisense Trimode Tag is a small, rugged device that can be attached to assets, allowing them to located both indoors and outdoors using GPS, 2.4GHz signals (to presence-level accuracy) and/or ultra-wideband technology (to an accuracy of 15cm in 3D in real-time). It is specifically designed for use in sites where assets need to be located precisely indoors and approximately outdoors (e.g. vehicle at an assembly plant). In addition to its tracking capabilities, it includes additional features such as three LEDs for easy status identification, a motion detector to instantly activate a stationary tag and a push button to trigger events.
Qualities
Ruggedized location tag for indoor and outdoor asset location
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Dimensions: 71mm x 64mm x 47mm
Weight: 4.5 oz
Temperature: -20 C to 85 C (-4 F to 185 F)
Humidity: 0 to 95%, non condensing
Operating range: Ultra-wideband link: Up to 160m*/2.4 GHz link: Over 300m (with directional antenna on receiver)
*Dependent on system configuration and environment
Overview
The Ubisense Trimode Tag is a small, rugged device that can be attached to assets, allowing them to located both indoors and outdoors using GPS, 2.4GHz signals (to presence-level accuracy) and/or ultra-wideband technology (to an accuracy of 15cm in 3D in real-time). It is specifically designed for use in sites where assets need to be located precisely indoors and approximately outdoors (e.g. vehicle at an assembly plant). In addition to its tracking capabilities, it includes additional features such as three LEDs for easy status identification, a motion detector to instantly activate a stationary tag and a push button to trigger events.
Qualities
- Rugged and adaptable: mechanically robust, dust and water resistant, and it can be securely mounted using a variety of attachment mechanisms.
- Long battery life: The low current consumption and power management techniques result in long battery lifetimes. Status reports and alters make maintenance easy, and batteries are technician-replaceable.
- User interaction features: The tag has a button to provide context-sensitive input to interactive applications.
- Flexible update rates: The Ubisense software platform allows the tag's update rate to be dynamically and automatically varied depending on the tag activity. When stationary, tags sleep to conserve power, an inbuilt motion detector ensure the tag transmits again when moved.
- Two-way communication: The tag's two-way 2.4GHz communication capability allows the Ubisense system to dynamically manage the tag's update rate, flash the tag's LEDs, report battery status and button presses, and wirelessly reprogram the tag to enable new features.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
New Inside Positions Available
Dear readers,
It seems that each edition of Inside Positions begins with the words "the last few months have been eventful ones for Ubisense" and that is never truer than now. Ubisense has once again been expanding in all dimensions, delivering over 40% growth over last year, adding an operating division in France and winning more business with blue-chip customers. If that wasn't enough to keep us busy, there was also the small matter of taking the company public in June of this year.
On June 22nd Ubisense was listed on London's AIM market in a significantly over-subscribed initial public offering. At a time of very few successful IPOs, the over-subscription is a strong endorsement of Ubisense's position as the leading location solutions provider. The IPO puts us on a very strong footing for supporting existing customers while expanding our customer base and bringing new location solutions to market.
Momentum continues to grow in our core manufacturing and public transportation markets, and exciting milestones have been achieved both with our military training solution and by our many research partners. With our second annual User Conference, and further announcements to be made, one thing is certain: the next few months will definitely be eventful ones for Ubisense!
Sincerely,
Richard Green
CEO, Ubisense
If you would like to recieve a hard copy of our latest Inside Positions Magazine, please contact aubree.topai@ubisense.net with your name and address.
GIS Case Studies: What are people doing with our systems?
1. Black Hills Corporation
Project: Electric Office Implementation
Challenges: The rapid growth of the business left BHC with many overlapping information technology systems. As a result, BHC commissioned multiple projects to consolidate the various systems into a single corporate standard based on the GE Smallworld Office Suite platform.
Ubisense Solution: Ubisense completed a system upgrade evaluation phase which concluded that the GE Office Suites (EO and GDO) were the best option for BHC. Ubisense is currently working with BHC to implement Electric Office and Gas Distribution Office. The new solution has been successfully deployed in multiple regions.
Results: "Standardizing all business units on one platform and database is a critical priority for Black Hills," said Matt Seidl, Manager of GIS Support at Black Hills Corp. "The Ubisense team brought a tremendous amount of experience to the project, which as helped us make decisions quickly. We were impressed by Ubisense' professionalism, organizational and management skills, and Smallworld experience."
2. First Energy
Project: Electric Office Project Development
Challenges: First Energy, a long time PowerOn customer, was having issues with the quality of GIS data that was being fed to PowerOn.
Ubisense Solution: Ubisense worked closely with customer to identify the root cause of the data quality issues, and developed the PowerOn Integrity Checker application to identify and resolve data quality issues that impact OMS.
Results: The PowerOn Integrity Checker has greatly improved the quality of First Energy's OMS data. Our solution included automated data repair actions and a logging mechanism to identify areas where manual fixes are required.
3. Duke Energy
Project: Electric Office Implementation
Challenges: The merger of Duke and Cineregy left Duke with many overlapping information technology organizations and systems. Duke commissioned multiple projects to consolidate the various systems into a single corporate standard based on the GE Smallworld Office Suite platform. Duke was the first Electric Office customer.
Ubisense Solution: Ubisense is providing project management, development support, and day to day operational support for Duke's Office Suite implementation. Currently we have 8 consultants assigned to this project, working on EO, GDO, and GTO.
Results: With the support of Ubisense, Duke has successfully rolled out the GE Office Suite projects to several regions.
How can Ubisense help?
Project: Electric Office Implementation
Challenges: The rapid growth of the business left BHC with many overlapping information technology systems. As a result, BHC commissioned multiple projects to consolidate the various systems into a single corporate standard based on the GE Smallworld Office Suite platform.
Ubisense Solution: Ubisense completed a system upgrade evaluation phase which concluded that the GE Office Suites (EO and GDO) were the best option for BHC. Ubisense is currently working with BHC to implement Electric Office and Gas Distribution Office. The new solution has been successfully deployed in multiple regions.
Results: "Standardizing all business units on one platform and database is a critical priority for Black Hills," said Matt Seidl, Manager of GIS Support at Black Hills Corp. "The Ubisense team brought a tremendous amount of experience to the project, which as helped us make decisions quickly. We were impressed by Ubisense' professionalism, organizational and management skills, and Smallworld experience."
2. First Energy
Project: Electric Office Project Development
Challenges: First Energy, a long time PowerOn customer, was having issues with the quality of GIS data that was being fed to PowerOn.
Ubisense Solution: Ubisense worked closely with customer to identify the root cause of the data quality issues, and developed the PowerOn Integrity Checker application to identify and resolve data quality issues that impact OMS.
Results: The PowerOn Integrity Checker has greatly improved the quality of First Energy's OMS data. Our solution included automated data repair actions and a logging mechanism to identify areas where manual fixes are required.
3. Duke Energy
Project: Electric Office Implementation
Challenges: The merger of Duke and Cineregy left Duke with many overlapping information technology organizations and systems. Duke commissioned multiple projects to consolidate the various systems into a single corporate standard based on the GE Smallworld Office Suite platform. Duke was the first Electric Office customer.
Ubisense Solution: Ubisense is providing project management, development support, and day to day operational support for Duke's Office Suite implementation. Currently we have 8 consultants assigned to this project, working on EO, GDO, and GTO.
Results: With the support of Ubisense, Duke has successfully rolled out the GE Office Suite projects to several regions.
How can Ubisense help?
- Extensive experience with enterprise GIS for utilities and communications industries
- Trusted partner to mare than 25 customers around the world
- Currently over 400 customers in 30 countries
- Most of our team has more than 15 years experience with the full Smallworld project suite across a broad range of industries and applications
- Founders Richard Green (CEO) and David Theriault were founders of GE Smallworld. Team includes Peter Batty, Terry Phebey, Jorg Poswig, Russ Chandler, and Dave Harris
- Our team has direct experience with all the major GIS technologies: GE Smallworld, Intergraph, ESRI, AutoCAD
- We can provide strategic advice and coaching for business and technical direction, merging utilities, and for data integrity business impact analysis
- We are leading the way in bringing emerging technology to our customers: MyWorld, Google Maps, OpenStreet Map, Field and Web based tools to bring the most out of geospatial information investment.
Monday, November 28, 2011
RTLS Case Studies: What are people doing with our systems?
1. Metro Transit Bus Depots
Minneapolis, MN, USA
Sensors: 450
Accuracy: 100cm in 2D
Solution: Transit Yard Manager (TYM)
Problem: Buses were being manually located and their location input into the Scheduling and Dispatching System using a paper mark-up sheet which was often out of date.
The Ubisense Solution: Each bus of the 1000 buses of Metro Transit is tagged allowing the Ubisense platform to determine an exact bay, lane, and position of each bus, as soon as it is parked inside the garage and in some outdoor areas. Dispatchers have real time visualization of vehicles for assignment.
Results: Elimination of need for dedicated search personnel in each of the five Metro Transit garages.
Faster and more reliable information about bus location.
Assistance in determining bus departure and arrival times and time spent in maintenance.
2. BNFL Nuclear Power Facility
Sellafield, UK
Sensors: 8
Accuracy: 30 cm in 3D
Solution: Ubisense Location Platform for personal tracking & radiation dosimters for radiation measurements.
Problem: Sellafield is one of the 20 aging U.K. nuclear facilities being decommissioned. Employees involved in decommissioning and clean-up within the facility are exposed to fluctuating radiation. It is vital to ensure that the amount of radiation to which they are exposed during any one work period remains below the specified limits.
The Ubisense Solution: Employees carrying out work assignments at the power plant wear both Ubisense Tags and WiFi dosimeters, which measure radiation levels. BIL Solutions' software provides views of the facility, which radiation levels depicted in different colors combining location data from Ubisense RTLS with the radiation readings. Workers' dose histories are monitored real-time as an aid to scheduling their work in the plant.
Results: The radiation maps and real-time exposure records significantly improve worker safety and efficiency of the operation.
3. Posco Finex Plant
Pohang, Korea
Sensors: 80
Accuracy: 100cm in 3D
Solution: Ubisense Location Platform for personnel tracking and identification
Problem: In a huge processing plant like this blast iron furnace with multiple floors and complex processing units, worker safety is a prime concern.
The Ubisense Solution: Workers have Ubisense Tags attached to their safety helmets. A combination of precise tracking on five floors of the plant and presence detection on seven other floors improves the safety of each person- help can quickly be guided to lonely workers in case of an emergency. The Ubisense system is integrated with the IBM WebSphere Premises Server solution LAS to bring real-time location information to the plant control room.
Results: Greatly improved worker safety in the plant.
Sensors: 450
Accuracy: 100cm in 2D
Solution: Transit Yard Manager (TYM)
Problem: Buses were being manually located and their location input into the Scheduling and Dispatching System using a paper mark-up sheet which was often out of date.
The Ubisense Solution: Each bus of the 1000 buses of Metro Transit is tagged allowing the Ubisense platform to determine an exact bay, lane, and position of each bus, as soon as it is parked inside the garage and in some outdoor areas. Dispatchers have real time visualization of vehicles for assignment.
Faster and more reliable information about bus location.
Assistance in determining bus departure and arrival times and time spent in maintenance.
2. BNFL Nuclear Power Facility
Sellafield, UKSensors: 8
Accuracy: 30 cm in 3D
Solution: Ubisense Location Platform for personal tracking & radiation dosimters for radiation measurements.
Problem: Sellafield is one of the 20 aging U.K. nuclear facilities being decommissioned. Employees involved in decommissioning and clean-up within the facility are exposed to fluctuating radiation. It is vital to ensure that the amount of radiation to which they are exposed during any one work period remains below the specified limits.
The Ubisense Solution: Employees carrying out work assignments at the power plant wear both Ubisense Tags and WiFi dosimeters, which measure radiation levels. BIL Solutions' software provides views of the facility, which radiation levels depicted in different colors combining location data from Ubisense RTLS with the radiation readings. Workers' dose histories are monitored real-time as an aid to scheduling their work in the plant.
Results: The radiation maps and real-time exposure records significantly improve worker safety and efficiency of the operation.
3. Posco Finex Plant
Sensors: 80
Accuracy: 100cm in 3D
Solution: Ubisense Location Platform for personnel tracking and identification
Problem: In a huge processing plant like this blast iron furnace with multiple floors and complex processing units, worker safety is a prime concern.
Results: Greatly improved worker safety in the plant.
Monday, November 14, 2011
We're going to need a bigger wall...
A recent VIP visit to the Ubisense office in Cambridge, UK, prompted us to refresh the display of customers in the foyer. We talk about growth and look at spreadsheets of revenue increasing 40% over last year, number of employees up to 170 so far, and many more indicators of the great health of the company. But none of those numbers is really very tangible until you perform the simple task of framing copies of your key customers’ logos, and hanging them in the foyer. When you stand back and look at that, you can’t help but smile to yourself and think, “this is what success looks like.”
In 2012, as our existing customers roll out our solutions throughout ever more of their facilities, and as new customers come on board, one thing is for certain: we’re going to need a bigger wall.
Thursday, November 03, 2011
Latest News
Ubisense Solutions Help Children Explore Swedish Technology Park
Denver, CO (PRWEB) November 02, 2011
A science center in Sweden is using a precise real-time location system (RTLS) from Ubisense (AIM: UBI) to offer children and adolescents a playful introduction to the world of science and technology.
In the visitor area at the Innovatum Technology Park Science Center in Trollhattan, children of all ages can explore the world of technology in an exciting and stimulating environment full of interactive exhibits. Visitors can play in virtual worlds on giant projection screens creating fire-spitting dragons in the setting of a computer-generated medieval castle or indulge in classic family favorites such as ‘Memory’ – turning cards over to find pairs on a screen based on movements in the real world.
Within the center’s gaming environment some of the interactive exhibits come to life thanks to a wireless location solution from Ubisense. Upon entry to the interactive area, visitors are given a large cube enabled with Ubisense’s real-time location system.
Each cube works like an oversized computer mouse. When taken into the ‘play’ area, a network of Ubisense sensors picks up the cube’s 3D location wirelessly. Every real-world motion made with the cube is immediately translated and turned into a virtual action. Based on the way they move their cubes, players can compete and test their skills moving counters, objects or cards on a giant projection screen.
Each tagged cube generates an ultra-wideband (UWB) location signal. Sensors in the gaming area pick up this information in real time and within 30 centimeters of accuracy. For accurate tracking the sensors can take up to 10 measurements per second. Information is then processed through an integrated software system.
Since the Ubisense system was installed, nearly 25,000 enthusiastic visitors of all ages have used the cubes and the center has deemed the project a great success.
Daniel Palmqvist, principal engineer at Innovatum Technology Park, is thrilled to be using Ubisense system. "Ubisense RTLS has never been deployed in this way but we were convinced that this system was just what we needed to realize this project," said Palmqvist.
Adrian Jennings, vice president of marketing at Ubisense, said: “Our location solutions are unique. No other company is deploying UWB quite the way we are. Our solutions are extremely popular in manufacturing environments where items need to be located quickly and efficiently – for example, parts and tools in the automotive industry. However, the project at the Innovatum Technology Park proves that our solutions can be fun as well as offer serious commercial benefits.”
Innovatum Technology Park spans 4,400 square meters of exhibition space, offering a wide range of activities for children of all ages. Every year up to 30,000 children visit the center with their family or on a school visit. Originally, the facilities used to be a production site for steam locomotives and turbines. Apart from its Science Center, Innovatum also offers a Business Incubator and Project Arena. For more information go to: http://www.innovatum.se
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Denver, CO (PRWEB) November 02, 2011
A science center in Sweden is using a precise real-time location system (RTLS) from Ubisense (AIM: UBI) to offer children and adolescents a playful introduction to the world of science and technology.
In the visitor area at the Innovatum Technology Park Science Center in Trollhattan, children of all ages can explore the world of technology in an exciting and stimulating environment full of interactive exhibits. Visitors can play in virtual worlds on giant projection screens creating fire-spitting dragons in the setting of a computer-generated medieval castle or indulge in classic family favorites such as ‘Memory’ – turning cards over to find pairs on a screen based on movements in the real world.
Within the center’s gaming environment some of the interactive exhibits come to life thanks to a wireless location solution from Ubisense. Upon entry to the interactive area, visitors are given a large cube enabled with Ubisense’s real-time location system.
Each cube works like an oversized computer mouse. When taken into the ‘play’ area, a network of Ubisense sensors picks up the cube’s 3D location wirelessly. Every real-world motion made with the cube is immediately translated and turned into a virtual action. Based on the way they move their cubes, players can compete and test their skills moving counters, objects or cards on a giant projection screen.
Each tagged cube generates an ultra-wideband (UWB) location signal. Sensors in the gaming area pick up this information in real time and within 30 centimeters of accuracy. For accurate tracking the sensors can take up to 10 measurements per second. Information is then processed through an integrated software system.
Since the Ubisense system was installed, nearly 25,000 enthusiastic visitors of all ages have used the cubes and the center has deemed the project a great success.
Daniel Palmqvist, principal engineer at Innovatum Technology Park, is thrilled to be using Ubisense system. "Ubisense RTLS has never been deployed in this way but we were convinced that this system was just what we needed to realize this project," said Palmqvist.
Adrian Jennings, vice president of marketing at Ubisense, said: “Our location solutions are unique. No other company is deploying UWB quite the way we are. Our solutions are extremely popular in manufacturing environments where items need to be located quickly and efficiently – for example, parts and tools in the automotive industry. However, the project at the Innovatum Technology Park proves that our solutions can be fun as well as offer serious commercial benefits.”
Innovatum Technology Park spans 4,400 square meters of exhibition space, offering a wide range of activities for children of all ages. Every year up to 30,000 children visit the center with their family or on a school visit. Originally, the facilities used to be a production site for steam locomotives and turbines. Apart from its Science Center, Innovatum also offers a Business Incubator and Project Arena. For more information go to: http://www.innovatum.se
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