Bluetooth® technology is being used in some pretty innovative ways. We are seeing it used in everything from beacons to speakers but it is the in-between that fascinates me. Here is a rundown of a few of the more interesting new uses of Bluetooth technology.

Bluetooth Joins Sub for Decommissioning—a company in the UK is using a mini-submarine to evaluate conditions of a fuel storage pond dating back to the 1950s that contains nuclear fuel and radioactive sludge. The sub deploys a probe to sample an array of variables. The sub then sends data back on the variables through Bluetooth technology to keep track of what’s going on.

AMPLIFI: The Guitar Amp Reinvented?—AMPLIFI introduced its new speaker earlier this year that not only streams music wirelessly through Bluetooth but also functions as a powerful guitar amplifier. This amp has a number of cool features and presets with an accompanying app that can take the music into a completely new level.

Pilot Project Replaces Hotel Keys with Bluetooth—wouldn’t it be cool if you didn’t need to keep track of your hotel key card? You already carry your phone so why not use your smartphone to open the hotel door. Starwood Hotels is working on rolling this out in its hotels. The door locks use Bluetooth Smart to communicate with the smartphone to validate the key code and open the door.

Bluetooth and Babies—there are a couple of cool new baby “appcessories” on the market. TheBluetooth Smart pacifier by Blue Maestro records and senses a baby’s temperature and sends the information to a smartphone application. An alarm will sound if the baby’s temperature reaches a certain level. The Bluetooth Smart onsie by Mimo monitors a baby’s respiration, temperature, movements and body position and will even track sleep algorithms. It allows you to see real-time data, set customizable alerts and even allows you to listen in on the baby.

Oral-B Bluetooth Toothbrush—the new toothbrush uses Bluetooth Smart to record a lot of data on brushing habits. Launch the app and start brushing. The timer counts down while prompting you to move around to the different quadrants of your mouth. You can then bring the app to your next dental appointment where your dentist can give further insight like needing to brush or floss longer in a certain spot.

Bluetooth Hair Clip Could Save Your Life—it looks like an ordinary hair clip but this accessory contains an accelerometer, gyroscope and Bluetooth Smart sensor that detects punches, kicks, slaps or aggressive shakes and sounds an alarm. It has a built-in jogger’s mode to keep it from triggering accidentally. The Bluetooth sensor accesses the smartphone’s GPS system, camera and microphone during an attack. Professional security monitors can send any data collected to authorities for help, identification and prosecution.

Find out more about Bluetooth low energy technologies.

(Credit: Nanci Taplett)