Sticking to social distancing rules? Maggy will tell you if you're not!
As terrible as these times are, they also inspire inventiveness. Thanks to a portable mobile device, barely the size of a matchbox, from the recent Antwerp-based start-up Maggy, you'll know from now on whether you're abiding by the social distancing rules.
The device will start to vibrate when it detects another Maggy device less than 1.50 m away. The more devices are present in a particular area, the more effective the Bluetooth system will be, making it ideal for use in places where many people congregate, such as in the workplace, museums, zoos, and so on.
The concept is not entirely new, as other companies have released similar devices before. But what distinguishes Maggy from its predecessors is its Bluetooth technology, which measures accurately up to 15 cm, as well as its acceptable price tag of less than €40. Maggy's technology is made possible by a collaboration with Silicon Labs, an American specialist in Bluetooth and the Internet of Things (IoT), which is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
Maggy's prototype was even among the winners of the European Commission’s 2020 Hackathon in the Business Continuity category. This was followed by thorough testing in both production and working environments and several tens of thousands of the devices have already been made in the meantime. The European market, including Belgium, and the US market have expressed an interest, and the Middle East and Turkey, in particular, are now eyeing up this warning system for ensuring COVID-safe behaviour. And once we have the virus under control, Maggy can also prove its usefulness in other sectors, such as logistics and agriculture, to name a few.