The Iridium Edge Solar device. Photo: Iridium
Iridium Communications revealed Tuesday the availability of Iridium Edge Solar – a solar-powered Internet of Things (IoT) remote asset tracking and management device. Iridium Edge Solar has over-the-air configuration capabilities, and can be used for Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), fisheries management, tracking of freight shipping containers, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) applications, monitoring of oil and gas pipelines, and heavy equipment telematics data reporting.
The Iridium Edge Solar beta trials, which are nearing completion, are testing its real-time, two-way communication, over-the-air configuration ability, and built-in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity. The addition of BLE technology helps enable the development of customized deployable sensor systems that can be positioned on machinery, vehicles, vessels, or across worksites.
"The Iridium Edge Solar is a unique and versatile solar-powered asset tracking device, when compared to alternatives available in the industry," said Bryan Hartin, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Iridium. "No other solar-powered IoT tracking device matches its geographic coverage, capabilities and cost-effectiveness, and we believe the addition of BLE local wireless connectivity adds a new level of customizability for applications requiring multiple and disparate sensor readings."