Xiaomi releases "One-finger connection" UWB technology, enabling gesture-controlled projection screen

Xiaomi officially released the "One-finger connection" UWB technology. It is reported that UWB technology can give mobile phones and smart devices spatial perception capabilities, just like indoor GPS. When the mobile phone is pointed at a smart device, the control card will automatically pop up and can be directly controlled. It also supports one-finger projection. In any interface of the mobile phone, you can point the smart device to perform gesture operations to project the current screen to Xiaomi TVs, touch screen speakers, Xiaomi notebooks and other smart devices.

It is a new generation of connection technology with spatial positioning, and it has pioneered a revolutionary pointing interaction method. Just point your phone at your smart device and you can control it with one finger through UWB technology, which has also been used in the radar field.

UWB stands for "Ultra Wide Band", which means ultra-wideband communication. It has a large bandwidth of 500MHz to transmit information. Mobile phones that support Xiaomi UWB technology can achieve centimeter-level positioning of smart devices, just like the human eye perceives spatial position, and can directly control any smart device with an angle measurement accuracy of up to ±3°, just like a high-precision version of "indoor GPS".

To achieve "one-finger connection", mobile phones and smart devices need to have built-in UWB chips and array antennas . With the help of Xiaomi's self-developed antenna arrangement and algorithm, accurate spatial positioning can be achieved.

In addition, the "One-finger connection" Xiaomi UWB technology has excellent security performance, thanks to the ultra-wideband and narrow pulse characteristics of UWB, which is extremely difficult to be intercepted in space, and at the same time, it is supported by the Xiaomi distance algorithm, forming a double insurance. These characteristics also give "One-finger connection" a broad imagination space in practical applications. In the future, "One-finger connection" Xiaomi UWB technology will complement the advantages of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to meet users' wireless connection needs in different scenarios.

Currently, Xiaomi's "One-finger connection" UWB technology has realized the control of many smart products such as Xiaomi TVs, speakers, electric fans, desk lamps, notebooks, etc. Zeng Xuezhong, vice president of Xiaomi Group and president of the mobile phone department, said that in the future, even pointing will not be necessary, and the phone can be unlocked by just putting it in your pocket (close to it).

As of June 30, 2020, Xiaomi has connected  271 million IoT devices , and the number of users with five or more devices has exceeded 5.1 million, a year-on-year increase of 63.9%. Xiaomi is accelerating the arrival of the Internet of Things era.

In addition, in response to UWB technology, Apple will release a new HomePod product at the press conference on the 14th, which will be named "HomePod Mini". According to experience, products called Mini are often small in size. Relevant data shows that HomePod Mini is only 3.3 inches (about 8.4 cm) high, so users can place it more freely without taking up too much space.

It is not difficult to see that UWB (integrated with the U1 chip) is one of Apple's next development directions, and it is as important as WiFi and Bluetooth. UWB can not only track location very accurately, but also transmit data very quickly. Not only AirTags, UWB will also appear in a bunch of new Apple products, including the future AirPods Studio, AirPods 3, iPad Pro, Apple TV and iPhone 12 will be equipped with U1 chips.