CellGuide has announced the selection of Baolab’s NanoEMS technology as a companion to its location and positioning solutions. CellGuide will add Baolab’s recently launched 3D NanoCompass IC to their GPS chip, to create the CLIOX-C, what the company is claiming will be the first fully integrated GPS and compass device.
Integrating the Compass and GPS together will enable ‘point and identify’ augmented reality features to be easily incorporated in mobile devices, tablets, and cameras. The compass function further enhances the GPS system by providing immediate tunnel-exit and dead-reckoning features to assist in situations where the GPS signal is intermittent or not available.
The CLIOX-C co-packaging of compass and GPS functions creates a highly complementary, Location Based Service enabling solution, which is offered at a very competitive price point and footprint. While the GPS and compass functions can operate simultaneously, they can also be accessed independently by the host device’s application processor, enabling efficient power management for demanding mobile applications.
The CLIOX-C is based on CellGuide’s SNAP technology. Baolab’s electronic 3-axis CMOS MEMS NanoCompass technology inside the CLIOX-C is the first product made using its patented NanoEMS technology, to create nanoscale MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) within the standard metal structure of a CMOS wafer using standard, high volume CMOS lines, that significantly reduces the cost of the compass by up to two thirds.
“Baolab’s 3D NanoCompass extends the capabilities of our GPS product so that it can cope with challenging situations and still continue to deliver reliable positional information,” said Adina Shorr, CellGuide’s CEO. “Baolab’s technology enables its NanoCompass IC to be integrated with our product in a very cost effective manner. The integration of the two technologies enhances the user experience, so for example you would know whether to turn left or right when coming out of an underground parking lot whilst the GPS is still trying to pick up the satellites.”
Dave Doyle, Baolab’s CEO, added, “NanoEMS now makes it much easier and more cost effective to integrate MEMS sensors into high volume, consumer electronics products so that they can become pervasive, meeting the increasing demand for smarter, more intuitive devices.”
