DigitalAlerts, an Eindhoven-based company, is using Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF51822 SoC to help maintain social distancing in workplaces.

DigitalAlerts’ Buffr employs Bluetooth for wearable buffer zone

The Bluetooth LE SoC provides the wireless connectivity for a ‘Buffr’ wearable tag – the system will detect when wearers are within 1.5m of one another to trigger an alert.

Nordic writes:

Using the Nordic nRF51822 SoC-enabled Bluetooth LE wireless connectivity, Buffr detects other Buffr wearables by employing Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) to determine when the devices come within 1.5 meters of each other. This then triggers an alert in the form of an audible ‘beep’, notifying users they need to maintain greater social distancing.

The system uses a companion app on Bluetooth 4.0 (and later) smartphones. To support the use of ‘bubbles’, devices can be grouped together and programmed as required.

“We selected Nordic’s nRF51822 SoC for our Buffr device due to the ease and speed of software implementation enabled by Nordic’s SoftDevice, as well as the availability of the easy-to-use Nordic SDK [Software Development Kit] which was very useful in allowing us to rapidly develop and adjust the firmware,” says Arthur Strijbos, Managing Director at DigitalAlerts.