Trimension ultra-wideband tech finds misplaced belongings

SmartThings Find is an innovative service within the SmartThings application, available on select Galaxy devices – including the Galaxy S21+ and S21 Ultra – featuring powerful detection capabilities that help users find the things that matter most, near or far. It can accurately locate Samsung Galaxy devices and any personal items – such as a backpack, wallet, or keys – with a Galaxy SmartTag attached through an intuitive tracking interface. And now, with the addition of Galaxy SmartTag+ utilising Trimension UWB and Bluetooth Low Energy, users can take advantage of augmented reality technology to visually guide them towards their missing item using their smartphone's camera.

UWB makes users aware of the location of their personal items, giving them peace of mind. It brings us one step closer to a smart connected world where objects can communicate with each other to anticipate, automate, and enable new experiences.

"SmartThings Find is a simple and visual solution that will help you easily locate your favorite items. With the added advantage of using AR in conjunction with maps and sounds to guide you back to your devices with a Galaxy SmartTag+ attached, the SmartThings Find experience has become even more powerful: it makes people’s everyday lives easier, more convenient and safer," said Inkang Song, Vice President & Head of Technology Strategy Group, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. "The key to our innovative offering on SmartTag+ is NXP's UWB fine ranging technology, which makes it possible to lock onto the position of an object with greater precision."

"NXP's Trimension technology helps deliver precision when it counts and enables new and future possibilities," said Rafael Sotomayor, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Connectivity and Security for NXP Semiconductors. "Precision combined with security is the foundation for a host of new use cases. With the collaboration on Galaxy SmartTag+, Samsung once again demonstrates its commitment to enabling a world of convenience and security through the SmartThings ecosystem, and we are thrilled to be a part of it."

• Galaxy SmartTag+ operates using the SmartThings Find service, provided in the SmartThings app. Galaxy SmartTag+ is currently available in select markets, including the US, and is coming to additional markets soon.
• NXP UWB IC, Trimension SR040 is optimised to enable new IoT use cases, such as smart locks and real-time location system (RTLS) tags, delivering 'relative position' with a very high level of accuracy.
• NXP QN9090 Bluetooth LE microcontrollers support UWB use cases by providing a wireless interface for sideband communication, configuration, and activation.

The NXP UWB ecosystem

With one of the industry's broadest portfolios of wireless technologies, NXP is committed to accelerating our vision of a connected world that anticipates and automates. NXP was the first to offer a system-level UWB solution backed by a comprehensive software offering and strong security integration based on NXP's market-proven embedded secure elements (eSEs), and near-field communication (NFC) integration.

The introduction of Trimension expands NXP's comprehensive connectivity offerings across NFC, Wi-Fi, 5G, and Bluetooth.