How the Matter protocol can revolutionize smart health
Matter (formerly Project CHIP) is a new standard for IoT connected devices. This industry-wide collaboration establishes a single, application-layer connectivity standard in the smart home IoT industry. The unified protocol enables the widespread use of IoT systems by removing the limitation of using single IoT connected devices and apps independently.
This article showcases the Matter protocol, its origins, and how it may enable a new era of smart health.
What is the Matter standard?
Matter is an IoT-industry-unifying standard that connects compatible IoT devices, regardless of their brand or underlying technology. Smart home devices have historically relied on different connectivity protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave, and LoRa.
The Matter standard, which can be downloaded here, has been spearheaded by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA.org) and backed by tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Google, LG, and Samsung. The collaboration was referred to by the Wall Street Journal as “a rare example of big tech companies playing nice.”
Electronics OEMs have also been fundamental to the effort. Infineon, Nordic Semiconductor, NXP, Silicon Labs, STMicroelectronics, and Texas Instruments played a large role in future-proofing the Matter protocol. These OEMs design products with the necessary computing and security requirements for Matter-compatible devices.
For example, Silicon Labs’ Wireless Gecko Starter kit supports Bluetooth, Zigbee, Thread, and Multiprotocol Zigbee/Bluetooth software stacks. This radio board features the EFR32xG21 Wireless SoC, a 2.4GHz antenna, and onboard features, allowing for easy evaluation and development of wireless applications. NXP’s MCU/RTOS Hosted Matter Development Platform also includes all hardware, software, and peripherals to create a Matter-compliant edge node for development and evaluation.
Why Matter is vital for smart health
The Matter protocol opens doors for historically isolated smart health technologies. It’s especially valuable in the smart healthcare field, where device manufacturers create specialized, specific products and getting these devices to work together can currently be impossible. Matter can allow wearables like a blood pressure monitor, glucose meter, a smart scale, and a smart pill box to unify within a single ecosystem. A shared Matter protocol simplifies the use of the devices for the patient and consolidates the information received by the provider.
This simplified integration unlocks new, customizable functionality. For example, a Matter-compatible wearable device can be connected to a smart door lock. In the event of a fall at home, the smart door lock can automatically unlock for EMS personnel.
Matter protocol ultimately empowers devices and OEMs to focus on interoperable and user-centric functions. In the smart health space, this means healthcare patients can leverage specific, well-suited products among a larger ecosystem of other products, maximizing their healthcare management without restriction to a single brand or platform.
Most importantly, security and privacy are crucial considerations in smart health devices. The Matter protocol incorporates a robust security structure to protect user information, both in the device collecting sensitive information and the connected smart home devices. Devices adhering to the common Matter security framework can protect patient data throughout the smart, Matter-compatible ecosystem.
The future of smart health with Matter protocol
The Matter protocol significantly advances the smart health industry and the IoT connected devices within it. By providing a standardized connectivity and security framework that values interoperability and user empowerment, Matter increases the value of devices to users by uniting them in an aggregated ecosystem. This shared protocol enables cross-device data share, increased patient value, and broader practitioner insight. As the Matter protocol adoption continues, the smart health and smart home industries will see a renaissance in capabilities and creative solutions that will make smart devices more valuable to users.
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