Together with around 60 partners, the high-tech company Trumpf is introducing a standard for industrial positioning technologies. The new industry standard Omlox makes it possible to integrate all existing technologies such as UWB, BLE, RFID, 5G or GPS and provides the location data via a uniform interface.
“Regardless of the current situation, companies should keep their eyes firmly on the future and expand their digital applications. A common standard for positioning solutions simplifies logistics enormously and ensures efficiency gains in digital manufacturing,” says Thomas Schneider, Managing Director of Development at Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen.Omlox can now be used worldwide. Supporting industry partners include companies from across Europe, Asia and the USA. The aim of the initiators is to make it easier for industrial customers to use hardware and software from different manufacturers.
Global language for the industry
For the global further development of the Omlox standard, the initiators hand over the project to the Profibus user organization. Profibus has been supporting various industry standards for 30 years and operates worldwide with 1,500 members and 27 country offices.
“The Profibus user organization has all the processes and a lot of experience to bring open and easy-to-use standards to the world. As an independent organization, we ensure that all partners can continue to participate on an equal footing in the future,” says Karsten Schneider, CEO of Profibus.
Interfaces are already defined in Omlox to which all products can be connected. “Similar to how USB has become indispensable in the office, we are enabling the exchange of various tracking solutions for the entire industry worldwide as of today,” Schneider continued.
In the future, both hardware and software solutions will be able to access the standard. A logo on the products guarantees that they are connectable for Omlox.
Solutions from different providers networked quickly and inexpensively
By incorporating various tracking technologies, products can be tracked consistently. Omlox enables the localization of forklifts, drones, automated guided vehicles or tools from different manufacturers with only one infrastructure. Position data can thus be used much more widely in the factory. Even inside buildings, users can locate devices with millimeter accuracy, similar to what is already possible with GPS outdoors.
“The joint use of high-precision and robust positioning by ultra-wideband on the one hand and other positioning technologies on the other hand is the key for positioning technologies in industry. Industrial companies can start today to transfer existing stand-alone solutions into this future-proof and open overall system,” says Matthias Jöst, who is coordinating the project within the Profibus user organization.
Industry partners from Europe, USA and Asia
The initiators of Omlox include the software providers and IT service providers GFT, T-Systems and AWS, the providers of sensor-based solutions Sick AG and Pepperl+Fuchs AG, the research institute CEA Leti, the provider of indoor navigation services Heidelberg Mobil and the localization provider BeSpoon. Around 60 companies are now supporting the project.
