Quectel spurs on VestiTech for livestock and asset track and trace success
VestiTech is a Stockholm, Sweden-headquartered start-up specializing in track and trace capabilities for livestock and assets. The company’s, SPURO-X hardware platform utilizes LoRaWAN connectivity and incorporates GPS and accelerometer technologies to enable efficient tracking of herds or other assets. The name comes from Spuro, which in Esperanto means ‘trace’, while the X signifies the versatility of VestiTech’s approach.
In order to bring compact, low power devices to farmers, VestiTech turned to Quectel to deliver the Quectel L76-L GPS module. The module was selected for its form factor, price, performance and power efficiency. Quectel was also able to support VestiTech with LoRaWAN antenna design to ensure maximum efficiency.
SPURO-X hardware will be used to address track and trace requirements in industries including livestock management in which the devices will deliver an affordable means to track animals. The product can also be used in construction or any type of assets enabling all workers to see directly where assets are and secure them overnight or for the weekend. Finally, VestiTech anticipates SPURO-X hardware being utilised for both enterprise and residential customers.
“From a hardware perspective SPURO-X sets a new standard,” says Jürgen Persson, the CEO of VestiTech. “It has been built to last for many years with ultra-low power consumption, flexible mounting options and robustness and it still offers a fantastic design. From a software applications point of view, it has been built to be intuitive for the users. Our ambition is to provide information for better decisions, offload daily work and protect and secure your assets.”
“The SPURO devices prioritize a small form factor and have a limited power source via a single AA battery so the GPS module needs to be fast, accurate and power efficient,” adds Persson. “That's why we chose Quectel.”
To help achieve these aims, the Quectel L76-L module, which measures 10.1mm x 9.7mm x 2.3mm and weighs just 0.5g, offers 33 tracking channels, 99 acquisition channels and 210 PRN channels. For wide applicability, it has an operating temperature range of -40°C to +85°C and the L76-L supports multiple low-power modes to ensure ultra-low power consumption.
“The product is designed for high volume markets and is easy to manage and low cost for the end customers,” explains Persson, pointing out the offering will launch in Europe and the US first, followed by Brazil. “We selected Quectel because it is a leading vendor with high-quality products and strong development. We were also attracted by the price and performance which gives us the ability to launch solutions with a high take-rate such as for livestock applications which have slim margins.”
“We’ve received excellent support throughout the entire development, and we have more of a partnership than a customer/vendor relationship,” he adds. “Quectel has in-depth knowledge of technical topics such as antenna efficiency. Our plans are to continue our development with Quectel to find solutions not only for LoRaWAN but also so we can provide solutions for mobile networks like NB-IoT or similar technologies.”