Connecting Trillions of Everyday Items to the IoT
Partnership between Tadbik and Wiliot
David Beit-On, Head of Sales and Business Development Europe & Asia, Tadbik (on the right), and Steve Statler, Senior Vice President, Wiliot, explain the partnership between Tadbik and Wiliot in an interview.
Tadbik & Wiliot
What is a Wiliot IoT Pixel? In simple terms, the IoT Pixel acts as a 'one-chip Bluetooth computer' with an integrated sensor function. This mini-computer can be integrated directly into everyday items or applied to objects - in fact, all kinds of objects. For example, packaging, clothing, pallets, boxes or even vaccine capsules, as explained in the article, can be identified with an IoT pixel. The communication of the collected data takes place via Bluetooth. The ecosystem also includes an app, cloud services and AI algorithms.
On January 17th 2022, Wiliot released the Wiliot Starter Kit, that was developed in cooperation with Tadbik, at the NRF 2022.
1. When did the partnership between Wiliot and Tadbik begin?
Statler: Wiliot started back in 2017. We selected Tadbik from the first stages of our product development as a preferred partner for conversion solutions because of its advanced R&D capabilities, technological expertise, quality standards, excellent service and proximity to our own R&D team. In 2019, we launched the first version of our product.
2. How has the development of the Wiliot IoT Pixel progressed as a result of the partnership with Tadbik?
Statler: Tadbik provided the first automatic machine we used for the testing of Wiliot tags in-house. The first product version worked on crates and cardboard boxes and scaled to hundreds of thousands. This has been the default product. We worked with Tadbik to develop a vaccine vial that has a computer built into it.
We actually did this with the first version of our product. Developing an antenna that can work on glass with liquid in it to fit on a small vial took a huge amount of effort. This gave us a taste of what the technology is capable of.
3. What encouraged Tadbik into this partnership with Wiliot?
Beit-On: We at Tadbik are very excited about this technology because it is a game-changer in the traditional market of track and trace. We understand that track and trace is transitioning into the generation of IoT. It is part of the demand. To help solutions progress into that future, it is not enough to only provide identification.
We also need sensors. And these sensors are not only going to be battery-less, they are also going to be very affordable, and offer new capabilities and options for providing customers with real, important, highly selective and precise data.
We believe that this technology will provide the customers and partners with new solutions to optimize processes, particularly in the supply chain.
4. What have been the latest developments as a result of the Tadbik-Wiliot partnership?
Statler: We have been getting ready to launch the second version of our product and are also working on a program called the Wiliot Starter Kit. This will take us from having maybe 30 to 35 major clients to having hundreds, thousands, and in the future hundreds of thousands of clients. We started to do test deployments of this kit, which Tadbik are assisting us in regards to the manufacture.
“Tadbik is one of Wiliot’s earliest partners. We see huge potential for this technology to reach people and change their lives for the better.” - David Beit-On, Head of Sales and Business Development Europe & Asia, Tadbik
