Bluetooth 5.1 became available to developers today and it is said that this newer variant Bluetooth will track down another enabled device to the centimeter. The group behind the Bluetooth standard says it has developed a new feature that will allow companies to track down items to centimeters. The group is combining Bluetooth’s existing tracking feature with radio direction in order to get precise measurements.
With the new spec, it becomes possible to determine the direction of a Bluetooth signal along with the proximity, which means it becomes easier for people to track down misplaced gadgets using property tags.
As of now, Bluetooth can be used as a proximity-based tracker, which means if you are in range you can activate a little alarm sound in order to locate the lost gadget. While Bluetooth is often used as part of other location-based services, including BLE beacons in indoor positioning systems (IPS), it wasn’t really built to provide exact locations, as GPS does. Nevertheless, with the Bluetooth 5.1, people could locate another Bluetooth 5.1 device down to the centimeter, rather than meters.
“By including the new direction-finding feature, Bluetooth proximity solutions can add device direction capability,” the Bluetooth Special Interest Group wrote in a press release on Monday (via Venture Beat). “For example, an item finding solution could not only let a user know when a personal property tag is nearby but also in what direction, greatly enhancing the user experience.”
“Location services is one of the fastest growing solution areas for Bluetooth technology, and is forecasted to reach over 400 million products per year by 2022,” said Mark Powell, Bluetooth SIG Executive Director. “This is great traction and the Bluetooth community continues to seek ways to further grow this market with technology enhancements that better address market needs, demonstrating the community’s commitment to driving innovation and enriching the technology experience of users worldwide.”
With the launch of Bluetooth 5.0 back in 2016, various new improvements were introduced, including faster data transfers and a longer range. The upgrade also allowed wireless headphones to communicate over the more power-conservative Bluetooth Low Energy, which meant a longer battery life. With the emergence of Bluetooth 5.1, we could witness improved indoor navigation, allowing people to find their way easily around supermarkets, airports, museums, and cities.
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