The Bluetooth Special Interest Group is the nonprofit standards-setting organization for Bluetooth technology. It recently released specifications for Bluetooth 5.1, and the promises in the document have tech analysts abuzz about the possibilities, especially for better location accuracy.
As a start, the Bluetooth devices available now can track things down to about 10 meters, but those with Bluetooth 5.1 will offer location-finding details down to 10 centimeters.
Additionally, current Bluetooth technology estimates distance by relying on signal strength. But, a new direction-finding capability on Bluetooth 5.1 will go further and incorporate multiple antennas on phones or Bluetooth transmitters.
So, with these new developments made public, people can anticipate some of the ways they might improve location-based technologies. Here are five possibilities.
1. More Peace of Mind for Parents and Pet Owners
The market is full of Bluetooth tracking devices that cater to parents with rambunctious toddlers. They’re especially useful if parents take their kids to crowded places like fairs or beaches and lose sight of them. Since Bluetooth 5.1 offers better accuracy and shows a wearer’s location at a substantially shorter distance than earlier Bluetooth versions, this improvement could increase the appeal of Bluetooth trackers for toddlers.
Most of the child trackers available now use different location-tracking technology, like GPS. But, if Bluetooth 5.1 performs as the standards suggest, people could see a rise in Bluetooth trackers they can purchase to prevent the trauma of a lost child.
Similarly, the 5.1 standards could speedily reunite pet owners with their lost animals by reducing failed attempts to find the critters that stray from their homes.
2. Opening up the Market for More Uses of Indoor Location Beacons
One of the characteristics of Bluetooth 5.1 that makes it superior to older versions is that it will reportedly make Bluetooth-enabled location beacons more informative than ever. That’s because it can transmit more information to Bluetooth-compatible devices without forming connections with them.
A February 2018 article about the future uses for indoor beacons mentioned the location capabilities available at that time were not precise enough for many real-world cases. For example, a beacon could detect when a person entered a store, but not know which aisle they were in at a given time. Due to the advancements of Bluetooth 5.1 mentioned above, though, that limitation no longer applies.
Before long, people may notice an increase in indoor location beacons that tell them how to find things, plus let them know about limited-time offers related to where they are in a store.
3. Improving Underwater and Land-Use Drones
Many people know about aerial drones that can take photographs from above or even look for stock in a storeroom, but there are also drones that work underwater. Consumers can buy them as hobbyists or professionals. The options for hobbyists can transmit photo and video footage from a depth of 150 meters.
Water slows down and diffuses Bluetooth signals, negatively impacting the range. But, since Bluetooth 5.1 can work with multiple antennas, that quality could result in an improvement for drones used underwater.
Bluetooth 5.1 should enhance drones for land use, too. For example, many smartphone-controlled drones rely on the Bluetooth connection of the gadget to receive commands. The new standard likely means people can be further from drones when operating them, compared to using drones that work with older Bluetooth versions.
4. Helping Use Data From Connected Cars
One characteristic of Bluetooth 5 enables people to choose between two interfaces that either allow them to send small amounts of data over longer distances or twice the amount of data over shorter distances. This versatility could make the data from connected cars more versatile, depending on future use cases.
Uber already has connected aspects that help them keep tabs on cars and drivers. The improved location-tracking abilities of Bluetooth 5.1 should bring an assortment of advantages to connected vehicles.
For example, there may be more applications where concerned parents can check the locations of their teenage drivers, or law enforcement officials may use Bluetooth 5.1 to find suspects on the move.
5. Aiding People in Finding Lost Items
Bluetooth tracking tags are essential for assisting individuals in remembering where they left their car keys or other things they often misplace. One of the limitations of current Bluetooth trackers is that a person’s phone ” with a complementing app installed ” must be within a relatively short distance from the lost item.
Provided the phone and item are within range of each other, the Bluetooth tracker typically emits an audible alert that helps an individual find what they need. Bluetooth 5.1 has a more extended range and better accuracy compared to previous versions. As such, it should give increased precision and not require people to be so close to the items they lose.
The direction-finding feature mentioned earlier might let a person know how far they are from a lost item, plus which direction to go to locate it. The user-friendliness of Bluetooth 5.1-enabled items increases significantly over older versions.
Exciting Things on the Horizon
With the Bluetooth 5.1 specs released, it’ll be interesting to see how developers implement the technological advancements into the devices they create.
Even in these early stages, it seems likely the location-based offerings for the gadgets will be notably better than what people know now.
