There are different beacon models that contain different battery sizes that mainly determine the beacon cost. Beacons with small coin cell batteries cost of the order of €10, $10, or £10. Larger battery beacons with sensors cost up to €30, $30, or £30 or more.
It’s possible to get lower cost beacons direct from China but hidden shipping, money transfer, import duty, import tax and carrier import disbursements inflate the cost. Most brands work ‘just in time’, only manufacturing once they have received payment thus delaying order by weeks or months during holiday periods. Furthermore, they all use freight forwarders, through Hong Kong, that take up to an extra 10 days.
We now have the new MG4 Rechargeable Gateway available. This gateway collects advertising data from iBeacon, Eddystone, Bluetooth LE sensor and other Bluetooth LE devices and then sends it to your server by HTTP(S) or MQTT using WiFi (2.4GHz only).
A unique aspect of this gateway is that it has a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 12 hours so that it can operate during a power outage. The in-built memory stores up to 1080 records avoiding data loss during power and/or network loss.
When you do a Google search query “Is beacon outdated?” and similar queries, you might be directed to a warning about the Google beacon platform being deprecated as of December 7, 2020, with a complete shutdown on April 1, 2021. This information, while accurate, pertains specifically to the Eddystone-URL and Google Nearby, not to iBeacon technology. It’s crucial to understand the distinction to avoid misconceptions about the current state of beacon technology.
Eddystone-URL, a beacon format developed by Google, was indeed phased out. This format was designed for broadcasting URLs to nearby devices, a feature that found limited adoption and was eventually deemed no longer necessary. The discontinuation of Eddystone-URL and Google Nearby, a related service, led to a broader assumption that all forms of beacon technology were becoming obsolete. However, this isn’t true.
iBeacon, Apple’s beacon technology, is still very much in use. iBeacon operates differently from Eddystone-URL. It uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) proximity sensing to transmit a universally unique identifier picked up by a compatible app or operating system. This technology has a wide range of applications, from retail to event management, and continues to be relevant in various sectors.
For instance, in retail, iBeacon technology is used to enhance the shopping experience. Retailers implement beacons in stores to send targeted offers and information to customers’ smartphones, based on their location within the store. This personalised approach not only improves customer engagement but also provides valuable data to retailers.
In the event management industry, iBeacon technology is used for attendee tracking, networking facilitation, and personalised notifications during events. For example, at a conference, attendees can receive information about sessions they are near, facilitating a more interactive and engaging experience.
Moreover, museums and galleries have adopted iBeacon to provide visitors with detailed information about exhibits as they move through the space, enhancing the educational aspect of their visits.
In conclusion, while the Google beacon platform, specifically the Eddystone-URL and Google Nearby, has been deprecated, it’s important not to generalise this as the end of all beacon technologies. iBeacon, among others, continues to thrive and evolve, finding new applications and integrations in various industries.
This is a door or window open/closed sensor with a tamper alarm. It stores up to 2048 records readable with included app. The Bluetooth advertising includes the battery level, magnet detection status, anti-tamper status and the MAC address.
The two probes are positioned vertically where there’s the possibility of a water leak. Special Bluetooth advertising is sent every second, by default, indicating whether there is a water leak or not, together with the battery level. There’s also an external on-off switch on the back.
The advertising can be picked up by a gateway or detected by scanning for Bluetooth on iOS and Android. The replaceable battery lasts up to 5 years at the default Bluetooth advertising frequency.
The convergence of Bluetooth beacons and augmented reality (AR) is creating exciting opportunities for enhancing user experiences. This synergy offers a new dimension in various industries, from retail and marketing to education and entertainment, by blending the digital and physical worlds.
Bluetooth beacons, small wireless devices that transmit signals using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), have been instrumental in location-based services. They are adept at providing contextual information to mobile devices based on proximity. In a retail store, for instance, beacons can trigger notifications about special deals when a customer is near a particular product.
Augmented reality takes this concept a step further by adding a visual, interactive layer to the information. AR can overlay digital content, such as images, videos, or 3D models, onto the real-world environment, as seen through the lens of a smartphone or AR glasses. This combination turns static information into an engaging, immersive experience.
Imagine walking into a store and, as you approach a product, an AR display pops up on your phone, showing how the product works, customer reviews, and even how it might look in your home. Beacons can trigger these AR experiences, making shopping interactive, informative, and fun.
In educational settings, such as museums or historical sites, for example the Cutty Sark, this technology can bring history to life. As visitors move around, beacons can activate AR displays that reconstruct historical scenes, provide in-depth information about artifact, or offer interactive learning experiences. This makes education more engaging and memorable.
The gaming industry is also capitalising on this synergy. Location-based AR games, powered by beacons, create immersive gaming environments in physical spaces. Players can interact with virtual objects and characters overlaid onto the real world, enhancing the thrill and engagement of the game.
Future advancements may include more sophisticated AR visuals, greater accuracy in beacon technology, and perhaps even integration with other emerging technologies like 5G and AI. This could lead to more personalised and contextually relevant AR experiences, further blurring the lines between the digital and physical worlds.
This is a waterproof (IP68) gateway that detects Bluetooth devices and sends this information via cellular LTE-M or NB-IoT. It also includes internal GPS, accelerometer and temperature sensors.
It’s now possible to have standalone sensing in remote places such as farms, production facilities or even war zones. All you need is a power supply in the range 8v-52v. The sensors can be any Bluetooth sensor beacons, not just Minew devices. Alternatively, the gateway can be installed on movable items such as a vehicle or trailer where the GPS can provide the latest location. This opens up a large number of usecases.
The traditional museum experience is undergoing a remarkable transformation. Central to this change is the integration of Bluetooth technology, particularly through the use of Bluetooth beacons. These small, wireless devices are redefining visitor interactions, creating more immersive, informative, and personalised experiences.
Personalised Tours at Your Fingertips
One of the most significant advantages of Bluetooth beacons is the ability to use them with apps to offer personalised tours. As visitors move through a museum, beacons located near exhibits can send information directly to their smartphones or provided devices. This can tailor content to individual preferences, past viewing history, or even language, making the museum tour more engaging and accessible for everyone.
Bringing Exhibits to Life
Imagine standing before an ancient artifact and receiving not just text-based information, but an interactive story that takes you back in time. Bluetooth beacons make this possible. By triggering audio narratives, augmented reality experiences, or video content as visitors approach, they bring a dynamic and vivid dimension to the exhibits, far beyond what traditional static displays offer.
Enhanced Learning Opportunities
Educational outreach is a core mission for many museums. Bluetooth beacons can enhance learning by providing additional layers of information, interactive quizzes and scavenger hunts for younger visitors. This interactive form of learning is not only more engaging but also helps in retaining information and sparking a deeper interest in the subject matter.
Crowd Management and Flow
Museums can be overwhelming, especially when they are crowded. Bluetooth technology can help manage the flow of visitors by providing real-time data on crowded areas. This information can be used to suggest alternative routes to visitors, ensuring a smoother and more enjoyable visit. It also helps museum staff to better manage and distribute the crowd, enhancing the overall visitor experience.
Accessibility for All
Accessibility is a crucial aspect of modern museums. Bluetooth beacons can provide visually impaired visitors with audio descriptions, guiding them through the museum and describing exhibits in detail. This level of accessibility ensures that museums are a place of learning and inspiration for everyone.
Collecting Valuable Insights
For museum administrators, Bluetooth beacons are a goldmine of visitor data. They can track which exhibits attract the most attention, average dwell times and visitor flow patterns. This data is invaluable for making informed decisions about exhibit placement, marketing strategies and future exhibit planning.
Sustainable and Cost-Effective
Bluetooth beacons are low-energy devices, making them an environmentally friendly and cost-effective option for museums. Their low power consumption means they can run for years on a single battery, reducing maintenance costs and their environmental footprint.
Summary
The integration of Bluetooth technology in museums is a significant leap towards making art, culture, and history more accessible and engaging in the digital age. Bluetooth beacons are playing a crucial role in this transformation, offering personalised, immersive and accessible experiences to every visitor.
New research “Hybrid-AI-Based iBeacon Indoor Positioning Cybersecurity: Attacks and Defenses” by Wei-Tzu Hung, focuses on the cybersecurity aspects of iBeacon systems, particularly in the context of indoor positioning and navigation. iBeacon is increasingly used in very large and important public spaces for indoor navigation, using the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) in mobile phones. However, the security of these systems is sometimes a concern, especially against cyberattacks.
The study uses the iBeacon system at Taipei Main Station, a major transportation hub, as a case study. This station experiences a high daily traffic flow, making it a critical area for such technology. The research explores potential attacks on the iBeacon system and investigates defence technologies, incorporating AI techniques and human participation.
The study looks into various aspects of iBeacon technology, including its mechanisms, related work in the field and specific challenges in information security. It also discusses the design of the iBeacon system at Taipei Main Station, potential attacks by hackers and methods to defend against these attacks.
The paper concludes with insights into future studies in this area. Key findings include the necessity of incorporating information security technology and rolling coding encryption in the early stages of iBeacon system planning. These methods are currently the best defence strategies. The research suggests that rolling coding is the most cost-effective defence, but for critical infrastructure, a more secure method, such as predictable and encrypted rolling coding, can be used.
Nordic Semiconductor, the manufacturer of the System on a Chip (SoC) in most beacons, has published the latest online issue of Wireless Quarter Magazine. It showcases the many uses of Nordic SoCs.
The latest issue of the magazine highlights the use of the same Nordic SoCs in the following Bluetooth solutions:
A wearable that provides walk cueing for people with Parkinson’s disease
A new Casio watch offers 16 hour battery life with non-stop GPS
An electric jet board offering wireless remote control
Industrial Monitoring devices that detect equipment issues
An asset tracker that operates on harvested indoor light energy
An orthopaedic sensor that improves post-surgery patient outcomes
There’s an in-depth article on the ‘The Internet of Medical Things’ explaining how this will transform healthcare. An article on ‘Building the Clean Dream’ describes how IoT is promising cities a smarter way to manage the growing challenges of waste and pollution. A feature on ‘Safety First’ shows how the safety industry is using wireless solutions to protect us in our homes, at work and while we play.
