Ever since Xiaomi entered the smart home industry, we have been contemplating one question – what would the future Internet of Things hold? In our imagination, every smart home device in the future should be able to perceive, understand, and react to users’ wishes.
Today, we have made another step ahead towards the future by introducing the ground-breaking ultra-wideband (UWB) technology. With this technology, your smartphone will be able to perceive signals from your smart devices in its surroundings and control smart devices when simply pointed towards them.
To achieve this, we customized the Mi 10 series and some smart home devices by including a built-in UWB chipset and antennas while using the specialized antenna layout and algorithms developed by Xiaomi. Let’s take a look at the video below: https://www.youtube.com/embed/DGBxL3Ndhww?feature=oembed
Device detection with centimeter-grade precision
UWB, which stands for ultra-wideband, is the new generation of connection technology with ultra-precise positioning. A smartphone supporting Xiaomi’s UWB technology can locate smart devices with centimeter-grade precision. It senses spatial positioning just like the human eye and can pinpoint the location of any smart device with the angle measurement accuracy reaching ±3°, similar to an indoor GPS.
Smartphones and smart devices need embedded UWB chips and array antennas in order to achieve this. Unlike existing narrowband communication systems, Xiaomi’s UWB boasts a 500Mhz ultra-wide bandwidth to transmit information and improve positioning accuracy, a technology that is used in radars.
In addition, Xiaomi UWB technology demonstrates excellent security performance thanks to its ultra-wideband and narrow pulse characteristics, making its signals extremely difficult to intercept in space. At the same time, it is equipped with Xiaomi Distance Algorithm for added accuracy. These features also allow for imaginative practical applications. In the future, Xiaomi UWB Technology will complement Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to meet the wireless connectivity needs of users under different scenarios.
Revolutionary “Point to connect” interaction
We have so far embedded our unique UWB technology into Xiaomi Mi 10 Series and certain smart home appliances, pioneering the revolutionary “Point to connect” interaction format. Once you point your smartphone towards any smart device, you can immediately control it, as they will connect automatically.
When your smartphone is pointed towards the fan, the control panel for it automatically pops up on your phone.
One-tap control: Once you point your phone towards the smart device, the control panel pops up automatically. Whether you need to switch on the TV, turn on the light, play a song or read its lyrics, everything is just one tap away.
One-tap casting: Point your phone towards the device to remote control it and seamlessly cast your screen onto smart devices including Mi TV, Xiaomi AI Touch Screen Speaker, Mi Notebook among others.
“Point to connect” is just a tiny portion of what Xiaomi’s UWB technology offers.
In the near future, we may even be able to get rid of the “tap” for completely hands-free interaction. For instance, when you get close to the car door, your phone in your pocket will sense that and automatically unlock your car. Your phone can also help you pay on the subway or a bus, all while not leaving your pocket. These scenarios could easily become the reality with wider popularization of Xiaomi’s UWB technology.
About Xiaomi Corporation
Xiaomi Corporation was founded in April 2010 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 9, 2018 (1810.HK). Xiaomi is an internet company with smartphones and smart hardware connected by an Internet of Things (IoT) platform at its core.
With an equal emphasis on innovation and quality, Xiaomi continuously pursues high-quality user experience and operational efficiency. The company relentlessly builds amazing products with honest prices to let everyone in the world enjoy a better life through innovative technology.
Xiaomi is currently the world’s fourth-largest smartphone brand, and has established the world’s leading consumer IoT platform, with 271 million smart devices connected to its platform, excluding smartphones and laptops. Xiaomi products are present in more than 90 markets around the world.
In August 2020, the company made the Fortune Global 500 list for the second time, ranking 422nd, up 46 places compared to last year. It also ranked 7th among internet companies on the list. In May 2020, the company made the Forbes Global 2000 List again, and its ranking jumped to 384th.
Xiaomi is a constituent of the Hang Seng Index, Hang Seng China Enterprises Index and Hang Seng TECH Index.
For more information about the company, please visit https://blog.mi.com/en/.