Most of my interviews and press conferences seemed to focus on software. In this event, I chatted with Cris Masselle, chief marketing officer of WISER systems. 

I was aware of RFID systems from the 90s for location applications. In fact, I quoted a system to a customer for tracking unique builds of product down the assembly line back then. But we went with a barcode system due to the customer’s experience with lack of reliability with RFID.

Masselle told me that we’re on a second generation of UWB technology. WISER, a woman-owned and founded technology company headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, has developed an innovative UWB Locator delivering scalable real-time location in nearly any environment. 

The system autonomously reports precise (sub-meter or inch-level) coordinates via a computer or mobile device and is accurate even in cluttered, metallic, or complex manufacturing environments where conventional tracking technologies perform poorly. The system is lightweight and portable and can be deployed in minutes, indoors or out. Although WISER’s Locator has only been on the market for a few years, 25% of end customers are Fortune 500 companies, including several large aerospace and defense contractors, multiple U.S. Government agencies, and a large Japanese automotive company, among many other organizations. WISER manufactures its products in North America.

From the press release:

The WISER Locator is an ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless business process management solution that autonomously generates precise positioning data in real time. WISER’s best-in-class Locator utilizes proprietary Redundant Radio Localization and Tracking (RRLT) technology, which ensures precise and reliable performance even in reflective or cluttered environments where radio frequency technologies often fail. WISER’s real-time location updates enable end users to automate reporting on location-based processes, to conduct time-motion studies, and to track and trace critical assets in real time, among many other uses.

“This will be our first time exhibiting at Hannover Messe, so I’m eager to see how conference attendees react to what we have to show them,” said WISER CEO Dr. Elaine Rideout. “So many of Hannover Messe’s tracks and topics are right in line with WISER’s mission. To date, our technology has garnered especially strong interest from leaders in smart manufacturing, process automation, and logistics endeavors like yard management—all directly relevant to Hannover’s focus on Industry 4.0. It’s always exciting to showcase our Locator system to new audiences.”

Early adopters of the WISER Locator have utilized this wireless system for applications including: work-in-progress tracking in automotive, aerospace, and heavy equipment factories; real-time location for vehicles in large yards and lots; location-based process heat-mapping for factories and other settings; and track and trace applications for smart warehousing and inventory management.