According to a recent report by Statista, global expenditure on Internet of Things (IoT) products reached 805 billion US dollars in 2023, with further growth anticipated in the following years. Endrich Bauelemente GmbH, NeoCortec’s German distributor, has been actively involved in the development of smart IoT-related products, such as a concept for a smart fridge, for several years. They have integrated NeoCortec’s ultra-low-power and scalable NeoMesh wireless sensor modules into their solutions.
One of the big advantages of a mesh solution like the flexible battery-powered NeoMesh technology is that you only need one central gateway to collect all the sensor data and transmit it to the Cloud, with no need for repeaters or additional gateways to connect different parts of the network. Zoltán Kiss, Head of the R&D Department at Endrich Bauelemente, highlights, “By integrating NeoMesh sensor modules into our solution, we can effortlessly capture any necessary data and transmit it wirelessly to our own IoT ecosystem or any other suitable cloud service.” Kiss further emphasizes, “Combined with its extremely low power consumption and the ability to establish scalable local wireless networks, NeoMesh stands out as the ideal product for our smart IoT solution.”
In collaboration with NeoCortec, Endrich Bauelemente GmbH has been actively developing a concept for smart fridges, aimed at empowering fridge manufacturers to incorporate intelligent features enabling end users to monitor various parameters of their refrigerator via a mobile application. Leveraging NeoMesh wireless sensor modules, the integration of multiple IoT functionalities becomes effortless and swift. These functionalities include monitoring the temperature and humidity within the refrigerator compartment, as well as tracking the brightness of the interior light and the status of the door. Through the collection of data such as the frequency and duration of door openings, valuable insights for marketing or commercial purposes can be readily obtained, particularly in commercial settings like gas stations or retail stores. One of Endrich’s initial clients for this smart fridge solution, Audax Electronics in Brazil, has successfully integrated NeoMesh modules into the LED lighting unit of their fridges to monitor both temperature and door status. These LED lighting units can be efficiently installed in fridges originally designed with smart capabilities, as well as retrofitted into conventional refrigerators.
The primary requirements for IoT sensor modules in smart devices typically include compact size, easy installation, independence from electrical and wired communication networks, and straightforward commissioning. When utilizing battery-powered, wireless communication technology like NeoMesh, with all necessary sensors integrated into the module itself, installation can typically be carried out without the need for a specialist. “This is precisely what makes our NeoMesh technology so user-friendly,” comments Thomas Steen Halkier, CEO of NeoCortec. All sensor measurements are wirelessly transmitted to the appropriate cloud service for data analysis via the self-forming mesh network. This not only eliminates the need for extensive cabling, saving infrastructure and costs, but also provides greater flexibility in network deployment, as sensor nodes can be installed anywhere. “Our NeoMesh technology is particularly well-suited for wireless sensor networks where sensors don’t need to transmit data frequently and where the data payload size is small,” adds Halkier.
The NeoMesh wireless communication protocol is offered in a range of fully-integrated and pre-certified ultra-low-power bi-directional sensor modules. These modules are available in various versions, all of which incorporate the core NeoMesh protocol stack across different frequency bands (868 MHz, 915 MHz and 2.4 GHz) and are preloaded with the proprietary NeoCortec protocol stack.
