Berlin, Germany. Nanotron Technologies GmbH and Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. have completed a three-and-a-half-year collaborative project, FreiForm, developing compact, intelligent, autonomous sensors, also known as 'smart Items,' of any shape or form.

This cross-industry project involved many German organizations including AMIC, Fraunhofer IZM, GED, Lust Hybrid Technik, microTech, nanotron, Schaeffler and Technical University Berlin.

The project focused on Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and covered:

• sensor technology
• wireless data transmission
• location-awareness
• power supplies
• signal processing
• an investigation into mechanical, electrical and software design methodologies

Nanotron’s swarm bee technology uses sensors for tracking and collision awareness of transport equipment, comprised of smart RF modules using a common API with ready-made anchors and a coverage range of up to 500 meters with an accuracy of 10 cm.

"Location awareness is the key element of next-generation safety and efficiency improvements in a wide range of manufacturing and intra-logistics applications," said Dr. Jens Albers, CEO at Nanotron. "This project has provided us with a unique platform for demonstrating how real-time location and sensor data technologies can noticeably reduce production costs for manufacturers such as Schaeffler."

For more information, please visit www.nanotron.com and www.sensera.com.