Umain eyes UWB sensors in sync with Raspberry Pi 3
Umain's HST-D3 development kit that works with Raspberry Pi 3.
Umain has launched a new development kit for its UWB radar sensor that works with Raspberry Pi 3 and allows customers to create IoT devices, the company said.
The HST-D3 will come with a software development kit (SDK), module, and an antenna. The company said the addition of Raspberry Pi 3 will allow wider applications and a freer development environment.
Customers can use the development kit singularly or sync it with other devices using a provided interface. The SDK comes in Windows and Linux.
The South Korean radar sensor maker successfully developed a UWB radar sensor module that is cheaper than conventional ones with 1GHz -- which usually costs thousands of dollars -- using its own system-on-a-chip technology.
UWB in the past was mainly used in the military. But its permeability, spectrum efficiency, and ability to operate in difficult environments have seen technological breakthroughs for wider applications.
Umain's radar sensor module boasts ultra-high reading speed for rebounded impulse signals, the company said, and comes with a radar signal processing software that can read bio-signals such as heartbeats and breathing. It can also detect objects in various difficult terrains and environments.
It developed its own algorithm to read people, cars, distance, occupancy, heartbeats, and breathing.
The company is seeing high-demand in rising areas such as autonomous driving, robotics, medical, security and home appliances, an Umain spokeswoman said.
"One of our most recent projects was a fall-detecting sensor for hospital patients," she said. "It is predicted be used in more hospitals as well as smart homes."
"Statistics in the US shows falls [are a] major cause of death for seniors. Using sensor modules will allow innovative new devices and services that tackle such problems," she added.
Umain, founded five years ago, has since grown into a major player in South Korea's expanding IoT scene, and showcased its technology at Mobile World Congress earlier this year.