Super-Beacon vs Badge vs Mini-RX Comparison | Marvelmind

0:00 Hello colleagues. Today we will be talking about Mini-RX, Super-Beacon, and the badge, and the differences between all of them. All of them are useful, and all of them are used in some cases. Let's discuss what those cases are. Now let's start with the Mini-RX. Mini-RX is mostly used as a receiving beacon in mobile devices, but not on its own—as a part of other products like badge, for example. Mini-RX is single-use, so it means that it can receive ultrasound, but it cannot transmit ultrasound, like Super-Beacon, for example, does. If it can receive ultrasound only, it means that it cannot, let's say, build the map of beacons. It cannot measure the distance or actively transmit the ultrasound. So it cannot measure the distance to the other beacons, and it cannot be used, for example, as a mobile beacon in Non-Inverse Architecture, because the mobile beacon must emit ultrasound. And it cannot be used as a stationary beacon in Inverse Architecture, because in this architecture the stationary beacon is emitting ultrasound.

0:59 In other cases, it can be used, but there's another element you need to take into account: the receiving diagram. So as you can see, the microphone is kind of inside. So in this microphone, it means that the ultrasound signal cannot come without attenuation from directions close to the horizon. And this is important to understand, because the microphone has a diagram—it receives perfectly in this direction, actually even better than Super-Beacon, because this small antenna is kind of focused and gives around two to three times improvement compared to Super-Beacon from this direction. But at the same time, from the side—let's say if you want to use it as a stationary beacon for the beginning—so it will receive from this direction with high attenuation. And at the same time, if there is a reflected signal from the front, it will try to receive it from the front and may be confused. So this is why Mini-RX is not recommended to be used as a stationary beacon for Non-Inverse Architecture, and in general as a stationary beacon, unless you know that your receiving diagram is around 120 degrees or so.

1:58 If you can do this, and if you are using our holder, then yes, you can point to the right direction, and then it's a very, very good receiving beacon, but only in this direction. In this case, you understand what you do. Super-Beacon from this perspective is a better device. And in general, Super-Beacon is the easiest and the most versatile. So when you don't know what to choose, choose Super-Beacon. It's designed specifically in order to meet the majority of cases from the majority of customers. Why? Because it's first of all dual-use—it can transmit ultrasound and it can receive ultrasound. It has a wide 180-degree diagram. But even this 180-degree diagram doesn't mean that from this direction, from that direction, the signal will come equally strong. No, it will be stronger from the front direction. And when it's very, very close to the horizon—let's say 10 degrees or 20 degrees to the horizon—the signal starts degrading very quickly. And zero degrees to the horizon, for example, when the beacons are placed on the wall, it could be pretty weak.

2:58 Again, it can be used in the majority of cases. But when you stretch it like, say, 30 meters between the beacons, we do not recommend this way. We do recommend something like this, which is usually the case. But don't overstretch. So it's dual-use. It has an external antenna, which is better compared to Mini-RX. Why? Because, you know, a small antenna obviously has worse performance than an external antenna. For those cases when you want even better performance, we recommend the full-size antenna. Full-size antenna obviously emits better ultrasound than their shortened antenna. But the obvious benefit is the smaller size. And this is the biggest benefit of Mini-RX as the smallest beacon. When you really, size does matter. Since the size is small, the battery is small: 500 milliamp hour to 1,000 milliamp hour.

3:57 So roughly in the same conditions, it would work roughly half of the time of Super-Beacon. Then let's talk about the badge. Because as I mentioned, Mini-RX is a part of many devices like badge, like a helmet, like a jacket. So as a part of this, it's a very, very good device. But, you know, use it as a standalone device only when you clearly understand what you do. For example, we have a watch as a device, which is good. But for cases when, for example, you have an assembly plant and you want to track wrists—watch configuration—the Mini-RX configuration is not suitable. To put it in my chest pocket and use it, no, because my own body will completely block it from the back. I may put many, many stationary beacons, and I can arrange, you know, nice tracking even for Mini-RX. But remember, the main role: at any time, the mobile beacon must see direct line of sight to two or more stationary beacons within 30 meters.

4:57 If I turn myself left, so that beacon will not be seen by my Mini-RX anymore. Or if I make a mistake and put it like this—so it's like closing ears—so the beacon will not track. So this is why, if you know what you do, Mini-RX can be used in some cases. But particularly for new customers, we do not recommend using Mini-RX for people tracking, because it has many restrictions. If you don't take them into account, the performance will be very poor because it will have no line of sight. And with no line of sight, you will experience a lot of jumps and a lot of nasty things. No, our system is very, very precise if you follow the requirements. So, what to use when you want to track people? Oh, it's very simple. There's a badge. Let's compare badge to the Mini-RX.

5:57 First of all, badge is recommended for people tracking, and it's probably the easiest for people tracking in, let's say, an office-like environment or exhibitions or conferences. Again, less industrial. It could be used for industrial, but for industrial we have other solutions like helmet, cap, jacket. So what is different? Well, first of all, in Mini-RX you have only one receiving microphone. In badge, inside the lace, there are sensors—two sensors around the neck. And these sensors—the microphones—are facing both directions, this and this. So it means that even if you put the lace like this or like this, it will still hear at least this or this, or both. So there are four microphones. So it's a very kind of multiple-input device.

6:56 Then, unlike in Mini-RX, there is an embedded antenna. So this antenna inside the lace, so it means that it's nearly as good as this one, or in some cases even nearly as good as this one, because there's a full-size antenna inside. It's slightly closer to the body, so not like this ideal. So it means that depending on how you wear it and how you use it, it's comparable either with this or this, but certainly much, much better than the Mini-RX with a tiny, tiny small embedded antenna. So all the drawbacks of Mini-RX are not here: external microphones, additional antenna. Okay, the battery is still small, but usually it still lasts a few days—like two, three days, depending on the update rate, etc. So then you charge them as your typical phone, every second day or something. You also need to clearly understand:

7:59 Because our system is a high-accuracy system, then the question is to which point—like, you know, in cameras there is a focal point, there is a particular point from where you measure the distances. Distance measurements, as well as in our case. So Super-Beacon receives the ultrasound to this microphone, so this is the central point for receiving. For Mini-RX, this is the central point for receiving. So the points are very clear. It's not something geometrical, it's this exact point. So when you need, you know, millimeters—but badge, badge has spread microphones. So there's a pair of microphones on my left side of the neck and on my right side of the neck. So it means that when I'm walking around, either left or right will receive. So it means that there is uncertainty or ambiguity in terms of which one will receive.

8:57 because our system is a high accuracy system then the question is to which point like like in you know cameras there is a focal point there is a particular point from where you measure the distances distance measurements as well as in our case so um super beacon receives the ultrasound to to this microphone so this is the central point for receiving for mini rx this is the central point for receiving so the points are very clear it's not geometrical something it's this exactly point so when you need you know millimeters uh but batch batch has spread microphones so there's a pair of microphones on my left side of the neck and on my right side of the neck so it means that when i'm walking around either left or right will receive so it means that there is uncertainty or ambiguity in terms of which one will receive

9:56 The strongest signal the strongest will receive. So it means that theoretically you have ambiguity in where am I—okay, I'm more than this. So where am I in the center, my body or something? So it means that the signal will be received either from the left or from the right. So it means that there is inherently again ambiguity in terms of the width of your neck. So it meant that plus minus 10 centimeters or something you shall expect for the badge compared to let's say plus minus 2 centimeters for the Super-Beacon. And if, for example, you walk all the time on one side, then it will be comparable. But if you move around, then instead of this, this may start receiving, and as soon as this starts receiving, it will be a small jump of a few centimeters, and then it will be again very, very precise. So as a summary: when you don't know what to choose, choose Super-Beacon. When size does matter and you clearly understand the direction, the embedded antenna there, use the Mini-RX. When you want to track people, use badge. Thank you very much.