Smart sensors dunk the duck
Localisation technology from an ESA incubator start-up company, Kinexon, opened this year's Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco with an interactive live game involving more than 100 players.
A 2 m-diameter ball was played in the hall by the audience with the aim of hitting asteroids in a space scene displayed on a giant screen. Bouncing off when hit by the people either by their hands or their heads, the large ball moved around just over the audience. A digital pinball game realized using the ball was made possible through Kinexon sensors mounted inside the ball, which delivered centimetre accuracy. With the same setup, the audience had to sink ducks in an imaginary pool.
“The digital pinball was created in cooperation with some of the most imaginative developers in the world,” noted Intel CEO Brian Krzanich about the Kinexon team. The company has worked with closely with Intel to develop their technology with the Intel Edison Breakout Board.
Mr Krzanich emphasised that the 'Internet of Things' is clearly a major trend, for which centimeter-accurate location of people and objects is fundamental. In order to interact smartly, objects need to know their position relative to each other.
How precise localisation is achieved
Seven ‘anchors’ were placed in the conference hall as signal transmitters for the in-ball sensors to measure 3D positions. An accuracy of better than 10cm is achieved in real time, in addition to information about the ball’s acceleration and rotation. The technology used is similar to the one used by satnav systems like Europe's Galileo.
The Kinexon technology was developed while hosted at the ESA Business Incubation Centre Bavaria, Germany and in close cooperation with the Technische Universität München. At the incubator, ESA engineers provided satnav expertise.
Bundesliga footbsll clubs like FC Augsburg and media corporations such as Red Bull already use the system to record performance data and analyse the tactical behaviour of players and athletes.
“Here, we have now proven that we are also able to track match balls,” joked Kinexon founder Oliver Trinchera.
Developer Relations Manager Wolfgang Petersen from Intel noted, “With their precise and smart solution, they paved the way for a new generation of indoor and outdoor location applications in markets like sports, industry, and healthcare.
“Innovative and passionate technology start-ups such as Kinexon will continue to play a critical role in the success of Intel’s Internet of Things initiative in the future.”
More about ESA’s business incubation initiative here.
More about Kinexon here.
