Harada Industry, a provider of automotive antennas, is partnering with UnaBiz, a provider and integrator of Massive Internet of Things (IoT) services, to develop a vehicle tracking solution and in-vehicle antenna based on Sigfox 0G technology for the automotive sector.
Harada has been producing automotive antennas since 1957, beginning with the “Lock Antenna”, a radio-receiving automotive antenna. Over the years, the company has grown into an OEM supplier for global automakers, with offices in China, Germany, the United States, and other countries.
This collaboration between Harada and UnaBiz involves the joint efforts of their R&D teams to create a “Film-type Vehicle Smart Tracker”, powered by Sigfox 0G technology, which can be attached to the windshield of vehicles. The transparent film tracker does not obstruct the driver’s view, and its position at the top of the windshield enhances the radio wave environment, improving Sigfox 0G network reception.
This retrofit tracker will be followed by fully integrated Sigfox-based solutions that automotive manufacturers can incorporate directly during vehicle assembly. Combined with Harada’s advanced antennas, the integrated solution will open a broad range of applications for the industry.
Micware, a tier 1 provider of in-vehicle platform software for automotive control and car navigation systems and a current partner of Harada, will also collaborate with UnaBiz to develop the tracking and telemetry software platform.
Harada and UnaBiz are set to explore various commercial strategies for the newly developed automotive products, with plans to introduce them to the market by the latter half of 2024.
Keigo Harada, Executive Officer of HARADA said: “It is a pleasure working with the UnaBiz team to combine our expertise in radio communication technologies to advance the automotive sector. Sigfox 0G and its global footprint are powerful, yet simple and elegant LPWAN technology that are straightforward to integrate into our portfolio of vehicle products and antennas. We are committed to leading the way, driving technological innovations that provide the best products and services for our customers.”
Harada operates in 13 cities across 9 countries, supporting the Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and Central America markets, while UnaBiz has networks deployed in over 70 countries worldwide through its global 0G operators empowered by Sigfox 0G technology.
“We are excited to work with HARADA, a world-class supplier for global automakers as we see more and more Sigfox 0G technology engagements and applications in the automotive sector. Our automobile OEM customers in Europe and Japan are leveraging Sigfox for asset tracking, stolen vehicle recovery, and telematics. HARADA’s antenna knowledge is unique and a key enabler for us to expand globally and deploy solutions tailored to the automotive sector. We couldn’t be more excited to launch such a key collaboration in an industry we look forward to supporting in its digital transformation,” said Alexis Susset, CTO of UnaBiz.
“Micware is thrilled to collaborate with HARADA and UnaBiz, both leading experts in their fields, to revolutionise the future of vehicle tracking and telematics. We will contribute our deep knowledge of software and other digital tools to build industry-leading solutions and products to build modern and inspiring experiences for end-users,” concluded Takuma Segawa, Executive Director of Micwar.
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