Bluetooth's role in the Internet of Things
Low energy versions of Bluetooth promise vastly expanded applications at lower cost. Various sectors could benefit from the better tracking of assets and people such technology permits. But, asks Vaughan O’Grady, is that happening yet?
Once seen as a form of cable-replacing short-range audio connectivity (and still popular in that format) Bluetooth now has a second incarnation in a low energy version (BLE), which is setting the stage for Bluetooth as a key component in the Internet of Things (IoT). That, at least, is the opinion of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group – the body that oversees the development of Bluetooth standards.
The Low Energy version of Bluetooth allows developers to create smaller sensors, with very cheap chips, that can run off tiny batteries for long periods. This has changed and multiplied the applications of Bluetooth. It can now be used for exchanging data over distances up to hundreds of metres but at extremely low power, so that sensors can remain in place for months – possibly years – without needing new power sources. The potential Bluetooth holds for business uses is already being explored.
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