Micro Hornet GPS Chip: A Comprehensive Overview

The world’s smallest GPS chip, known as the Micro Hornet, has dimensions of 10x10x5.8mm and weighs just 2.5 grams. This chip was developed by OriginGPS and is specifically designed for the wearable tech market. It includes an integrated antenna, along with all the filters, radio frequency shields, and processing capabilities of full-sized chips. This makes it ideal for devices that require low profile components.

Size Comparison

Yes, the size of the world’s smallest GPS chip, the Micro Hornet, is comparable to a grain of rice. The dimensions of the Micro Hornet are 10x10x5.8mm. On the other hand, a grain of rice is typically 5-12mm long and 2-3mm thick. So, while the GPS chip is not exactly the same size as a grain of rice, it’s in the same ballpark. It’s quite amazing to think that such a small device can have such powerful capabilities!

Capabilities

The Micro Hornet GPS chip has several impressive capabilities:

• Size and Weight: With dimensions of 10x10x5.8mm and weighing just 2.5 grams, the Micro Hornet is the world’s smallest GPS chip.
• Integrated Antenna: The chip includes an integrated antenna, along with all the filters, radio frequency shields, and processing capabilities of full-sized chips.
• High Sensitivity and Noise Immunity: The Hornet family features OriginGPS’ proprietary NFZTM technology for high sensitivity and noise immunity even under marginal signal conditions, commonly found in urban canyons, under dense foliage or when the receiver’s position in space rapidly changes.
• Rapid Time To First Fix (TTFF): The chip achieves a rapid TTFF of less than one second.
• Accuracy: The chip can achieve accuracy within as little as one meter.
• Sensitivity: The chip has a sensitivity at -165 dBm by tracking both GPS and GLONASS constellations simultaneously.
• Low Power Modes: The chip supports low power modes for energy efficiency.

Applications

The Micro Hornet GPS chip has a wide range of applications due to its small size, high sensitivity, and advanced features:

• Wearable Devices: The chip’s small size and low power consumption make it ideal for wearable devices such as smartwatches.
• Asset Trackers: The chip can be used in asset trackers to monitor the location of valuable items.
• Mobile Devices: Micro GPS chips can be used to track down a mobile device.
• Location Reporting: The chip provides real-time positioning data in the industry’s standard NMEA format, which can be used for location reporting.
• Geofencing: The chip can be used to set up a virtual boundary or “geofence” around a particular area. When the device enters or leaves this area, an alert can be sent.
• Historical Playback: The chip can store location data for historical playback, allowing you to review the device’s movements over time.

Use in Human Body

While the technology for GPS tracking inside the human body is still in its experimental stages, researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have developed a system called ReMix. This “in-body GPS” system uses low-power wireless signals on implants introduced into the body, allowing their exact location to be found, even as they move.

The potential applications of this technology are vast. For instance, these implants could work as tiny tracking devices that monitor the movement of shifting tumors. This could be particularly advantageous for proton therapy, an approach that directs magnet-controlled proton beams onto tumors. The treatment requires precision, which is exactly what the team hopes ReMix will eventually provide.

However, it’s important to note that as of now, there are no GPS tracking chips that can be implanted in humans. The technology is still being developed and improved, and it’s not yet ready for clinical testing.