Technology

Why UWB?

Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology’s unique combination of accuracy, operational range, and environmental readiness makes it a superior choice for a wide range of applications, including mobile robotics, rail signaling, industrial positioning, defense, and security systems. TDSR UWB stands out as the leading technology for future localization and sensing solutions, thanks to its high-end performance in both ranging and radar sensing.

Other technologies offer partial solutions but each has a number of limitations.

  • GPS: Doesn’t work indoors and has poor outdoor accuracy.
  • LiDAR: Has substantial processing requirements, is expensive, and can’t handle floor height changes (e.g., ramps).
  • WiFi: Is less precise, is harder to scale outdoors, and is susceptible to jamming/interference.
  • Ultrasonic Sensors: Limited by walls and require air contact to work, reducing feasibility in harsh environments.
  • Magnetic Tape/Inductive RFID: Can’t support dynamic routing and are either costly or require frequent maintenance.
  • FMCW Radar: Suffers from multipath interference indoors, has poor obstacle penetration, attenuates quickly (short range), and requires complex, expensive hardware.

The UWB Advantage

UWB radio technology offers powerful benefits for ranging/localization and radar sensing applications due to its unique physical properties and design. Here’s an overview of the advantages in each domain:

TDSR UWB for
Ranging and Localization

TDSR UWB for
Radar Sensing

High Accuracy / Precision

Centimeter-level accuracy based on precise two-way time-of-flight (TW-TOF) measurements

High Spatial Resolution

Ability to detect small objects and very subtle movements or changes (ideal for respiratory rate or heartbeat monitoring)

Indoor / Outdoor Capability

Robust and effective performance in complex indoor environments and GPS-denied outdoor spaces (like urban canyons and tunnels)

Obstacle Penetration

Sense-through-the-wall (STTW) capability for surveillance operations and enhanced situational awareness

Extended Operating Range

Ability to operate over hundreds of meters using only microwatts of transmit power

Clutter Rejection

Less susceptible to environmental clutter and multipath effects than traditional radars, and can discern actual objects of interest from noise and reflections

Security and Compatibility

Reduced susceptibility to jamming while co-existing with other wireless technologies like 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular networks

Lower Cost / Complexity

Simpler hardware and signal processing makes for a cost-effective radar solution

TDSR UWB for
Ranging and Localization

High Accuracy / Precision

Centimeter-level accuracy based on precise two-way time-of-flight (TW-TOF) measurements

Indoor / Outdoor Capability

Robust and effective performance in complex indoor environments and GPS-denied outdoor spaces (like urban canyons and tunnels)

Extended Operating Range

Ability to operate over hundreds of meters using only microwatts of transmit power

Security and Compatibility

Reduced susceptibility to jamming while co-existing with other wireless technologies like 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular networks

TDSR UWB for
Radar Sensing

High Spatial Resolution

Ability to detect small objects and very subtle movements or changes (ideal for respiratory rate or heartbeat monitoring)

Obstacle Penetration

Sense-through-the-wall (STTW) capability for surveillance operations and enhanced situational awareness

Clutter Rejection

Less susceptible to environmental clutter and multipath effects than traditional radars, and can discern actual objects of interest from noise and reflections

Lower Cost / Complexity

Simpler hardware and signal processing makes for a cost-effective radar solution

UWB and Sensor Fusion

UWB technology provides several advantages over traditional approaches to ranging/localization and radar sensing. Its high accuracy, resistance to multipath interference, and ability to work well in challenging industrial environments make UWB a powerful tool in these applications. However, despite these benefits, relying solely on UWB is not always ideal.

Instead, a sensor fusion approach—combining UWB with other sensing technologies—can often yield better results. For example,

  • UWB + IMU: UWB can augment inertial sensing by correcting for the drift inherent in inertial measurement units (IMUs). Over time, the accuracy of inertial sensors can degrade due to accumulated drift, but UWB’s precise ranging capabilities can be used to periodically recalibrate the system, ensuring more reliable and accurate localization over extended periods. Additionally, IMUs benefit UWB in times when UWB is occluded or in between UWB coverage areas.
  • UWB + GPS: GPS has the benefit of offering broad outdoor coverage although it provides a less accurate location. When in range of the UWB system, or UWB-enabled devices, then the overall system performance is significantly improved by the high precision of UWB. This is especially valuable when operating in primary areas of concern, or in other areas where GPS signals may be degraded or blocked.
  • UWB + LiDAR: LiDAR provides high-precision 3D spatial data, but is more susceptible to environmental interference (like poor lighting or adverse weather). UWB can be used to overcome this, while extending operating range, reducing computational load, and offering better performance in complex, multipath-prone areas. Augmenting LiDAR with UWB expands the range of applications and ensures high performance across diverse indoor/outdoor environments.
  • UWB + Cameras: Combining UWB radar with cameras enhances object detection and tracking by merging precise distance and subtle motion data from radar with visual information from cameras. UWB radar can detect objects through obstacles, within total darkness and in other low visibility conditions (fog/smoke/precipitation), while cameras record detailed imagery for visual recognition and classification.

Read more about Sensor Fusion in the Papers we have posted under Resources.