Wibree, developed by the Nokia Research Center, aims to extend connectivity from personal computers or mobile devices to watches, wireless keyboards, toys, sports sensors, and other small electronic gadgets.
Wibree consumes a fraction of the power consumption compared with other radio technologies, the company said. It also enables smaller and less costly deployments, along with easy integration with Bluetooth applications. Companies participating to define Wibree specifications include Broadcom, CSR, Epson and Nordic Semiconductor, which licensed Wibree to embed in commercial semiconductor chips. Suunto and Taiyo Yuden also contributed to interoperability specification.
The group expects the general interoperability specifications for Wibree will become available between April and June 2007 through an open forum.
Nokia said Wibree is implemented either as stand-alone chip or as Bluetooth-Wibree dual-mode chip. Small devices like watches and sports sensors will use stand-alone chips, whereas Bluetooth devices will use dual-mode, extending Bluetooth device connectivity to new range of smallest devices.
