The Nodle M1 can be attached to an employee's shirt or badge, or worn as a necklace. The device leverages parts of the open-source Whisper tracking protocol and is interoperable with the Coalition app, the privacy contact tracing application developed by the Red Coalition.

According to a recent report from Harvard University and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security cited by the partners, privacy-preserving digital contact tracing tools are considered force multipliers to help scale up manual tracing efforts, reduce the amount of testing needed, and slow the spread of COVID-19.

Studies indicate that employees spend a significant amount of time at work interacting with colleagues, which facilitates the spread of COVID-19. Certain jobs, such as those in warehouses, factories, hospitals, and food processing plants, are often not performed with a smartphone in hand, making it difficult to receive digital contact tracing notifications via smartphones.

“In recent conversations with government officials and large companies, we realized the great need for privacy-preserving smart contact tracing devices that can function independently without a smartphone. We have already received interest from major companies in the United States and Europe for several million units, and Avnet has the expertise to scale production of these wearables in record time,” commented Micha Benoliel, co-founder and CEO of Nodle

In response, Nodle began working with Avnet to create the Nodle M1, a privacy-first contact tracing solution for businesses to better protect employees and visitors from COVID-19 exposure.

The 5-cm device tracks distance and notifies employees with a buzz when they get too close (less than 1.8 meters). Distance is determined with much greater accuracy than a smartphone-based solution, and without requiring location data. The system also allows operational departments (HR) to alert anyone who has been near an employee who has previously reported a COVID-19 infection.

To ensure privacy and security, the Nodle M1 provides a rotating random identifier to prevent unauthorized third parties from tracking employees or understanding a company's workforce size. The Nodle M1 is industrial-grade, IP67 waterproof and dustproof, and can operate on a single battery charge for several days.

“The Nodle M1 will be a valuable tool for businesses as we continue the fight against COVID-19 because it allows employers to quickly notify anyone who may have been exposed to the virus in the workplace. By leveraging the Avnet ecosystem to accelerate Nodle’s ability to deliver this device, we can rapidly bring to market a solution that prioritizes employee safety while enabling business continuity,” said Bill Amelio, CEO of Avnet.

Shipments of the Nodle M1 device will begin in October 2020. Pre-orders are available here.