Principles and Trends of UWB Positioning Technology

Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology appeared as a short-range wireless communication technology 20 years ago, but competing technologies, such as Wi-Fi, attracted more interest. However, UWB technology has recently been re-evaluated because it makes it possible to measure the distance between wireless devices. In particular, UWB chips were released by NXP and Qorvo, and, as Samsung and Apple began installing UWB technology in smartphones, it began to be popularized. It is expected that UWB technology will be used in connection with smartphones in various location-based fields, such as automobiles, smart factories, and smart homes. Although the importance of UWB technology is increasing in various fields, as described above, the research on the principles and characteristics of the latest UWB positioning technology has been inadequate. Therefore, to help readers systematically understand the latest UWB positioning technology, the principle of UWB positioning technology is explained, and the latest research and development, as well as commercialization trends, are described.