Knowing where tools improve IoT efficiency

Here’s a question for you: how can companies that manufacture, own, or rent out equipment that can be essential for IoT efficiency, such as portable electrical tools, benefit from the Internet of Moving Things (IoMT)?

Luckily there’s no need for you to find an answer – because Swedish high-tech company Wittra® already has one. Thanks to Wittra’s unique, patented positioning solution, it’s now possible to collect sensor data, determine the position of portable tools both indoors and outdoors, and lock and unlock said tools as well. All of this means a reduction in unauthorized usage, a reduction in the risk of injury, particularly to children, and the potential to render tools unusable, such as in the event of them being stolen, or their invoices remaining unpaid.

“This new technology solves many problems, both in terms of efficiency and security. It may very well be a revolution for those who own and rent out tools”, says Wittra’s founder and CEO, Håkan Dackefjord.

Internet of Moving Things (IoMT) is growing

The IoMT has grown rapidly in significance over the past few years. The truth is that Wittra is one of the first companies to understand its inherent potential. Recognizing the importance of connectivity between portable devices, Wittra applied for various patents as far back as 2012. Today Wittra has a wide range of approved patents and patents pending to its name. This includes many tool-related innovations based on positioning technology and the receiving of sensor data.

“Early on we saw great demand from customers working with tool rentals, and we seized the opportunity,” explains Dackefjord. “Today our tool-related patents are approved not just in Sweden, but in France, China, Germany, and Great Britain as well.”

So how does Wittra’s solution work? By simply installing a patrol unit into a tool that requires a signal to unlock it. Once you have activated the unit, the tool will remain unlocked for a predetermined amount of time. If you don't use the tool within this time period, it will automatically lock itself. As a result, it will be unusable until you activate the unit again. Similarly, you can also control the locking mechanism based on the tool’s location. If the unit picks up a positioning request sent from outside the pre-authorized parameters, the tool will lock itself.

What makes this solution so unique, and a stand-out from its competitors is the fact that it fulfils all the basic demands of the IoMT in one device – long battery life, long-range, indoor and outdoor positioning, security, and a high level of accuracy. Additionally, we have developed Wittra’s solution to use radio technologies previously thought to be unsuitable for IoMT uses.

“Quite simply, we connect objects, determine their position, and collect data in a way that no-one else has succeeded in doing”, says Dackefjord.

Would you like to know more about how to improve IoT efficiency and security?

If you have any questions about our various IoT solutions (mesh networks, routers, 6LoWPAN tech, gateways, etc.), then feel free to get in touch with us here at Wittra. We would love to help you in any way we can.