With a fast-moving presentation and demonstration of wireless sensor technology that “looks” through walls, Joey Wilson of Xandem took the title of “Innovation Idol” at a Leonardo After Hours event in Salt Lake City event on December 7, 2011. An audience of 175 cast their votes for one of four innovative research and development projects in a speed pitch contest, and awarded Xandem with the first place prize.
Xandem is seeking a self-driven and creative engineer for a high-paying half-time position in an exciting startup environment. The task of this position is to develop Xandem’s "see-through walls" RF sensing technology for emergency response applications. The position is funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant, which begins in January, 2012, and lasts through the end of June, 2012. The pay for this position is commensurate with experience, up to $40 per hour.
The goal of this position is to develop rapid deployment methods by SWAT/military teams and firefighters who arrive at a building that is dangerous to enter. The idea is to quickly (within a minute) deploy sensors outside of the building, which then self-configure and self-locate. After this, the sensors make and forward signal strength measurements, which get processed at a computer to show an image of where the people are within the building. Knowing the location of people will help the emergency responders save lives. This engineering position will be part of the team that will develop the technologies needed to make the rapid deployment a reality.
If you are interested in this position, please send an email describing your qualifications and interest, along with your resume, to jobs@xandem.com.
Xandem's tomographic motion detectors provide an extremely powerful security solution for warehouses and industrial areas. Traditional PIR sensors are sensitive to heat, so they are very problematic in exposed environments like a warehouse (even when combined with microwave in a dual-tech setup). Beam detectors cover only a single line of detection, so the area is vulnerable to through-wall/fence break-ins, a surprisingly common occurrence. Neither PIR sensors or beam detectors can see through obstructions, so in environments where equipment and machines are constantly moving, these sensors are not only prone to false alarms, their detection capabilities are very limited.
Enter Xandem... nodes are concealed around the perimeter of the warehouse. The nodes form a through-obstruction sensing web that covers the entire area of interest. If shelves, equipment, boxes, or other obstructions are in the way, it's no problem, the system will still detect a person moving inside the area. Since Xandem's synergistic sensing technology is not sensitive to heat, rodents, dust, and sunlight, false alarms are drastically reduced.
For more information, or to order Xandem motion detection development kits, please send email to info@xandem.com.
SALT LAKE CITY -- Joey Wilson's Ph.D. project started a few years ago, a crude experimental network of transmitter-receivers. They tracked people inside by analyzing disturbances of the radio waves. Still, it was an entirely new kind of motion detector - one that could detect burglars through walls, which gave the project immense potential.
Now, the first commercial product is ready to be plugged in. Wilson's company, Xandem, even has its first customer - a penthouse owner in Dubai.
"Yeah, we're ready to generate revenue. Do I think we've solved the problems that we want to solve? Not even close. We're at the tip of the iceberg on what this technology can do," said Wilson. He says his product has big advantages over the infra-red detectors on the market now, which are prone to false alarms because they are sensitive to heat. Read the full story here.
FIRST EVER TOMOGRAPHIC MOTION DETECTION SYSTEM LAUNCHED BY XANDEM
New Synergistic Sensing Technology is Unbeatable, Hidden and Robust
SALT LAKE CITY (July 7, 2011) -- Xandem’s new synergistic sensing technology created by Wilson and Patwari at the University of Utah has led to the first ever tomographic motion detection system available for beta purchase. The product offers a totally new way to detect movement and is easily integrated into standard panel equipment, thus making this cutting-edge technology available for use in new and existing alarm, automation, and energy efficiency systems.
“Xandem’s tomographic motion detection (TMD) techology is a new way to detect movement within a defined area. The system can be completely hidden by embedding the devices in walls or behind objects, and is much more robust to false alarms than infrared sensors.” claims Xandem founder Joey Wilson. “We are currently selling our systems to integrators and product developers in industries that see a need for unbeatable motion detection with many new features.”
Xandem technology uses wireless networks that can penetrate solid materials, thus the sensing is successful even when the devices are placed behind walls, furniture, and other obstructions. It is unlike traditional microwave sensors in that the sensing does not depend on radio wave reflections. The tomographic sensing comes from communicating nodes in the mesh network that sense disruption to the waves as they pass through the defined area, a synergistic architecture that increases robustness.
“The hidden and see-through-walls aspects of Xandem TMD are important.” says Wilson. “In security systems, an intruder cannot scope vulnerabilities at a target site since the devices are inside walls or other enclosures.” Furthermore, since the system penetrates solid objects, the entire floor plan or area can be covered without gaps in the sensing. In building automation and energy efficiency applications, Xandem’s system is much more aesthetically pleasing than traditional motion sensors.
Wilson also believes the technology can be used in non-traditional ways. “The uses of this technology are endless. Since our system can quantify motion, our systems can detect the difference between a single intruder and a crowd of people. When parents leave their kids at home, they can be notified if a party is occurring. This is just one example of how Xandem is enabling powerful new applications.”
A Xandem TMD node - These devices can be embedded within walls or in obstructed areas to sense people entering defined areas. Click for full resolution.
An illustration of how Xandem TMD works. Click for full resolution.
Videos
Installation
The hardware devices presented in these videos are prototypes. Xandem TMD hardware is much smaller and comes with protective casings.
Joey Wilson from Xandem Technology gives a tour of a subVRT radio tomography system. In a nutshell, subVRT is a new algorithm for removing harmless forms of motion from a synergistic sensing network. This new development may help reduce false alarms in tomographic motion detection systems (see Xandem TMD at www.xandem.com/motion-detection) and increase tracking accuracy in localization systems.
Xandem was recently mentioned as an example of the University of Utah's ability to commercialize new technologies.
"The technologies driving the new businesses are developed by students working under faculty guidance. Case in point: Joey Wilson, who graduated with a doctorate in electrical engineering last year, is now the CEO of Xandem—a company he started in 2009 while attending U of U. The radio-wave technology he developed allows the company's customers to see through walls.
While Wilson and a professor came up with the ideas and developed the technology, the intellectual-property rights remain with the university, which receives a check for as long as the technology is used. D'Ambrosio says that more than 80 universities have sent representatives to the university this year to study ways of replicating its intellectual-property-rights revenue stream."
Xandem is a winner of the 2011 Utah Innovation Awards for its next-generation motion sensing technology. From the press release:
SALT LAKE CITY - Eight innovations were announced as winners in the ninth annual Utah Innovation Awards program, presented by Stoel Rives LLP and the Utah Technology Council. This statewide program, the first of its kind, is designed to recognize innovations and the Utah companies that created them. The program is sponsored by Stage 12, Utah Business Magazine, and Webb Audio Visual Communication. Winners were announced during a special Awards Luncheon today at the Little America Hotel.
"Twenty-nine innovations have been selected as finalists or honorable mention recipients in the ninth annual Utah Innovation Awards, presented by Stoel Rives LLP and the Utah Technology Council. This statewide program, the first of its kind and sponsored by Utah Business magazine, Webb Audio Visual Communication, and Stage 12, is designed to recognize innovations and the Utah companies that created them. Winners will be announced, and finalists and honorable mention recipients will be honored at a special Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at the Little America Hotel. Registration is available online at www.stoel.com/utahinnovation."
Xandem will be showcasing the technology before the award luncheon on May 3, at 11am. The full press release is available here.
Xandem was recently featured by the Utah Technology Council "Under the lens" newsletter. Here's an excerpt:
"What is most interesting about your company's internal culture?
We question everything. We don't follow typical ways of doing things unless we are absolutely convinced that the conventional methods hold up to our questioning. This comes into play in everything we do, from business decisions to our cutting-edge technology research. We understand that true innovation simplifies old complicated frameworks..."
"[Xandem's] network of radio transceivers measures the signal strength to reveal the locations of people or objects in the area. The system can find targets in the dark and through walls, smoke, or trees. The technology could find applications in fire rescues, hostage situations, and border security." - "Beyond X-Ray Vision", Discover Magazine, May 2010
"The ability to 'see' people moving around in a building with such a cheap system has many plausible applications, and Mr. Wilson has set up a company called Xandem to commercialise the idea." - "Looking Beyond", The Economist, October 17, 2009
Xandem was recently mentioned as an example of the University of Utah's ability to commercialize new technologies.
Xandem was recently featured by the Utah Technology Council "Under the lens" newsletter. Here's an excerpt:
"[Xandem's] network of radio transceivers measures the signal strength to reveal the locations of people or objects in the area. The system can find targets in the dark and through walls, smoke, or trees. The technology could find applications in fire rescues, hostage situations, and border security." - "Beyond X-Ray Vision", Discover Magazine, May 2010
"The ability to 'see' people moving around in a building with such a cheap system has many plausible applications, and Mr. Wilson has set up a company called Xandem to commercialise the idea." - "Looking Beyond", The Economist, October 17, 2009