While Bluetooth starts enjoying worldwide recognition as a stable technology with an install base of millions, the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has developed several uses for this personal area networking technology for the past three years.
Kobus Roux, business development manager for the Information Society Technologies Programme within CSIR icomtek, says Ericsson, Bluetooth`s developer, opened the technology in 1999. The CSIR became involved in R&D on it in 2000.
The organisation receives a government grant through the Department of Science and Technology for the development of technology for the betterment of the life of all South Africans (making up a large part of its budget). It undertakes projects on commission from industries and is in various stages of development in four areas of Bluetooth technology development.
The first involves Bluetooth connectivity between a heart rate monitor and Bluetooth module, which in turn sends an athlete`s vital physical information across a field to a coach approximately 100m away. This improves current monitors, which are viewed only by the athlete, and are later downloaded for analysis.
The second application centres on emergency vehicle operators and other areas where field operators leave their two-way radio devices in the course of their work, or need both hands free for work while in communication with central control areas - such as telecoms, mining or forestry workers. A Bluetooth connection between the person and the radio enables better roaming and working.
Other areas of Bluetooth`s use include communications devices that are networked for better communications synthesizing, as well as a serial adapter.
Suited to SA realities
Roux says the CSIR has a "disability thrust" in terms of its grant, but also undertakes commercial work on contract. "For industry to get into Bluetooth is quite hard, given the steep learning curve and the cost of equipment. The CSIR has vetted the idea of a 'virtual development hub`, and has included entities such as Pretoria Technikon and industry to co-develop on Bluetooth, to bring the value of this technology to South Africans."
Roux says the organisation also wants manufacturing and marketing partners. He adds that Bluetooth suits South African conditions because it is the first wireless technology that is internationally accepted without further licensing or type-approval requirements, has extremely low cost associated with it ($5 per transceiver chip), and combines synchronous data (voice) and asynchronous data (browsing etc), unlike WiFi and cordless phones.
It comes in 10m or 100m radius classes (with a cost difference) and has limited bandwidth. It also does not support cell-to-cell handover, but has numerous applications, in devices ranging from consumer to industry applications.
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