Imec Unveils UWB Chip with <10 cm Accuracy and 10× Lower Power via Digital RF & ML

Imec announced a breakthrough ultra‑wideband (UWB) technology that couples digital radio frequency (RF) design with machine‑learning (ML) corrections, delivering sub‑10 cm ranging accuracy even in the most challenging environments while cutting power consumption by a factor of ten compared to today’s solutions.

Two key innovations drive this leap:

• Hardware: An all‑digital phase‑locked loop (PLL) and other digital‑style RF components reduce Tx/Rx power to under 4 mW/20 mW, and enable an entire transceiver—including three angle‑of‑arrival receivers—to fit on less than 1 mm² of silicon.
• Software: ML‑based error‑correction algorithms intelligently select anchors, assess line‑of‑sight conditions, and adjust physical‑layer parameters on the fly, consistently achieving <10 cm accuracy in cluttered, metallic environments.

Imec’s new chip aligns with the forthcoming IEEE 802.15.4z standard and is supported by industry groups such as the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) and the Fine Ranging (FiRa) Alliance. It unlocks high‑precision, low‑power wireless ranging for a wide range of applications—including smart lock systems in automotive, AR/VR gaming, asset tracking, robotics, and privacy‑preserving contact tracing.

Christian Bachmann, Imec’s program manager, emphasized that the reduced footprint and cost have been major barriers to UWB adoption. "Our design brings UWB into the realm of everyday IoT sensor nodes," he said.

Researchers at IDLab (Ghent University) demonstrated the ML approach in factory and warehouse settings, achieving a two‑fold improvement over existing methods. Professor Eli De Poorter noted that the software works universally, running at the application layer without manual configuration.

Commercially, Imec has licensed the technology to its spin‑off, Lopos, which released a 75 g wearable that enforces Covid‑19 social distancing. The standalone UWB device offers <15 cm accuracy, alerts users via audible or haptic feedback, and requires no backend infrastructure, ensuring privacy.

With production ramped up to meet growing demand across sectors, this next‑generation UWB platform promises to redefine secure, ultra‑accurate wireless ranging.

>> This article was originally published on our sister site, EE Times.