Technologies from U‑blox and TransSiP have been selected for the recently announced PowerWatch 2 from MATRIX Industries. Power Watch 2 claims to be the world’s first GPS smartwatch that you never need to recharge. The smartwatch embeds the ultra‑small, ultra‑low power U‑blox ZOE‑M8B GNSS receiver. Meanwhile, TransSiP’s PI technology ensures energy harvested is used at maximum efficiency.
The PowerWatch 2 does away with cables and external batteries by continually topping up its battery using thermoelectric energy generated from body heat as well as solar energy. The watch can connect to your smartphone and display notifications on your wrist, while tracking activities and visualizing them using dedicated iOS and Android apps, as well as with popular third-party health and fitness platforms.
The PowerWatch 2 delivers location tracking using the low‑power U‑blox ZOE‑M8B GNSS receiver module that consumes as low as 12 mW. Packaged as a (System‑in‑Package), the 4.5 x 4.5 x 1.0 mm module helps achieve the watch’s comparatively low 16‑mm thickness. And concurrent reception of up to three GNSS constellations means that it delivers high accuracy positioning in challenging situations such as urban or dense forest environments and when swimming.
Satellite based positioning is typically the most power‑hungry process on a sports watch. Providing highly efficient conversion of harvested energy into a very quiet supply of DC power, TransSiP PI enhances the ability of the ZOE‑M8B GNSS receiver module incorporating U‑blox Super‑E technology, to strike an ideal balance between power and performance. Working on a tight power budget, the watch supports 30 minutes of continuous GNSS tracking per day, with unused time accumulating in the watch’s battery pack—powering two hours of location tracking every four days.
TransSiP | www.transsip.com
U‑blox | www.u‑blox.com
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