Following Symbol Technology's lead, rugged wireless device manufacturer LXE Inc. yesterday revealed its first hands-free wearable computer aimed primarily at warehouse picking applications.
Due to ship in early 2007, the HX2 will include a laser scanner and a 2D imager, among other features the company will make public shortly before the product's release, LXE officials said. Users will have several battery options depending upon the application -- one of the features that distinguishes the HX2 from the competing Symbol device, said Mark Dessommes, marketing director at LXE, in an interview with Managing Automation.
The computer will work with a variety of scanners currently on the market from other vendors, although Dessommes said LXE will begin to offer several scanner options of its own concurrent with the wearable's release, and plans to offer a Bluetooth-enabled ring scanner in a future release.
Designed to be worn either on an operator's arm or waist, the unit's snap-on arm bands prevent it from shifting during use, a common complaint among users of existing devices, the company said. Other key components include a breakaway wire connecting the unit to its accessories to help prevent damage to the unit if it is snagged on other objects during use. Other features for rugged applications include a magnesium alloy front panel and a "high-end," yet impact-resistant, screen.
In addition to traditional bar code scanning, users can run voice-activated logistics applications through a headset. The HX2 is powered by an Intel XScale processor, and runs the Windows CE 5.0 operating system. It comes with out-of-the-box support for the 802.11 wireless local area network (WLAN) standard, the company said.
The computer can bypass the Windows interface and function like a traditional "green screen" terminal for WMS applications that don't require client-side intelligence, Dessommes said.
The computer's display is designed to be readable from different angles, for greater ease of use, Dessommes said. Also, the unit's function keys can be custom mapped for "one touch" operation of any function. If a customer is not able to program the necessary code to customize function keys, LXE said its VARs can assist with such customization.
LXE declined to provide pricing details for the HX2, saying only that it will be priced competitively. Symbol's recently unveiled wearable computer -- the WT4000 -- lists for $2,790.
Dessommes predicted that initial HX2 customers will be existing users of outmoded wearable computers -- and new to LXE. HX2 is the company's first full-fledged wearable computer; the HX1 -- also used in picking applications -- is a voice-only terminal, with no keyboard or screen (the "H" in the product family stands for hands-free).
LXE also offers a line of vehicle-mount terminals, as well as mobile RFID readers and terminals. The company's current manufacturing customers include Krispy Kreme in the CPG/food and beverage space, Royal Appliance in home electronics, and Goodyear and Dayco in the automotive segment.
LXE originally had overnight shipping carriers in mind when conceiving the HX2, Dessommes said, but quickly realized that many manufacturing market segments were underserved by the devices currently available. "There are millions of dollars at risk; we want to make sure we get the lion's share," Dessommes said.
According to a research report from Venture Development Corp. (VDC) due out in early 2007, "the use of mobile computing solutions is exploding within enterprises." A related enterprise mobility analysis report released by VDC in January estimated the global enterprise mobility market across nine verticals, including manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, government, and field service, at $19 billion in 2005 and forecast the market to reach $32.6 billion by 2009.
The report identified specific trends supporting these findings, including shop-floor end users seeking to more tightly integrate inventory management efforts throughout their supply chain with WIP-tracking applications, with the overall goals of increased efficiency, lower inventory levels, and increased operational performance.
The report found that although mid-size companies in particular can realize much faster ROIs and revenue impact from improved warehousing and fulfillment automation than can larger companies, technology adoption in these environments traditionally has remained limited because of technology complexity and cost concerns. Today, however, the primary barriers are the lack of understanding and identification of best practices and differentiated services, the VDC report noted.
LXE, a wholly owned subsidiary of EMS Technologies, was spun off from its parent in the early 1980s, to focus on providing wireless data communications for materials handling and other logistics applications. EMS, founded in 1968 as Electromagnetic Sciences Inc., made its name by developing wireless communications systems for the U.S. space program.