Beacon : your customized IOT project

What are Beacons?

Beacon, as suggested by the name, are small devices used to send and receive Bluetooth signals. It emits a radio wave at a short range (about 100 meters) and consumes minimal energy. This wave is captured by smartphones which can then receive different content (push notifications, messages, media, etc.).

The first beacon was created in 2013 by Apple, it is the iBeacon.

A second type appeared in 2014: the Altbeacon created by Radius Network.

Finally, in 2015, Google released its Eddystones beacons.

Each beacon is composed of a battery, a microcontroller, an antenna, a radio module and sensors and has a UID (Universal Unique Identifier) to identify it.

How does it work?

Motionless beacons

Beacons can be used in a  stationary way, they are placed in places and define areas. When a user enters the area, information can be pushed to their smartphone.

This type of use is common in :

• Tourism

• Connected commerce (couponing, pushmarketing, etc)

• Industry

• Cultural events (museums, exhibitions, etc.)

Mobile beacons

Beacons can be used in a mobile way, meaning that they move with the user.

When the user moves too far from the beacon, the signal is broken and an alert can be sent to the phone.

Our beacon expertise

We have implemented this type of infrastructure in place in several projects since 2015. First, we equipped a Rwanda Photo Gallery that allowed videos and comments to be triggered by passing near each photo. We have created the first version of the SEATAG sea safety bracelet.

In 2017, we made a prototype of an IOSEA connected buoy for monitoring fishing traps at sea. In 2019, we made a prototype of a connected highway for the company APRR with beacons to enable the creation of alerts for contraflow traffic. Finally, in 2019 and 2020, we carried out the Atena project at the commercial port of La Rochelle to monitor the unloading activity of BULK boats.