Libelium Launches New Generation of Waspmote Sensor Nodes

New Sensor Network Platform Designed with Input from Community of 2,000 Developers

ZARAGOZA, Spain & REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Libelium, a wireless sensor networks platform provider for Smart Cities solutions, today released a new version of Waspmote, its open source wireless sensor platform, designed with input from a community of more than 2,000 developers. Libelium has brought improvements to the Waspmote device and API that combine the flexibility of the initial design with field and test bed experience gained from 20,000 units sold worldwide.

“We have listened carefully to our worldwide developer community since releasing Waspmote four years ago and have based improvements on their requirements and suggestions”

A chief improvement to the Waspmote platform concerns energy efficiency, crucial to wireless sensor networks: Waspmote has reduced power consumption by 10—to 0.07uA in hibernation mode. Other extended features include refinements to the hardware platform and software API, and notably, a code generator with a graphic interface that allows Waspmote to be programmed easily by anyone.

The Waspmote Development Community has played a key part in the evolution of the platform. Libelium has created a new Development website to facilitate support, increasing the number of code examples ready for use “off the shelf” from 50 to 500. Also—for the first time—developers can contribute to the Waspmote API directly by accessing a repository where they can download the source code, open new branches and share code.

“We have listened carefully to our worldwide developer community since releasing Waspmote four years ago and have based improvements on their requirements and suggestions,” said David Gascon, CTO of Libelium.

In other milestone improvements since its launch in 2009, Waspmote has doubled both the number of sensors and wireless communication protocols it supports. Waspmote’s modular approach to radio technology allows the choice of any of the six radio protocols available—including Wi-Fi, ZigBee, 802.15.4, Bluetooth, NFC, 3G—or to switch between any two of these technologies if needed. For system integrators, Libelium introduced a Waspmote Plug & Sense line of encapsulated sensor nodes to simplify outdoor deployment, reduce installation time and increase autonomy, with a solar panel option for energy harvesting. Recent developments include an over-the-air programming (OTAP) feature that allows Waspmote to be programmed wirelessly.

As a scalable, modular and horizontal open source platform, Waspmote now integrates 60 different sensor probes, for widely applicable services that range from monitoring air quality with gas sensors (CO, CO2, NO2), to Smart Cities deployments (Smart Parking, Smart Lighting), radiation control, security systems or agriculture monitoring (soil moisture, solar radiation).

Waspmote sends information collected from the sensors to Meshlium, the sensor gateway that uploads data to the Cloud, making data accessible from anywhere and easy to integrate into third-party applications. Unlike other platforms, Waspmote is ready for deployment anywhere in the world, in terms of available radio frequencies and certification (CE, FCC, IC).

Waspmote is available commercially here: http://www.libelium.com/waspmote

About Libelium

Libelium (established in 2006) designs and manufactures hardware for the implementation of wireless sensor networks so that system integrators, engineering and consultancy companies can deliver reliable Smart Cities solutions with minimum time to market. All Libelium’s products are modular, easy to deploy and include extensive documentation and support through a global community of developers. Libelium’s customers range from startups to large international corporations implementing Smart Cities projects in North America, Asia and Europe. Libelium is privately held and has headquarters in Zaragoza, Spain. www.libelium.com