TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES
The latest developments in tracking technology offer versatile solutions for a wide range of applications. Technologies such as UWB, RTLS, LPS, RFID and GPS enable precise location tracking in logistics, manufacturing and security applications, thereby increasing efficiency and transparency.
Indoor Localization / Local Positioning System (LPS) with BLE, RFID and Time-of-Flight Measurement
In contrast to GPS (Global Positioning System), the term LPS describes localization within enclosed spaces. Since the space satellites used by GPS reach their limits here, indoor localization systems require their own satellites or so-called beacons positioned in the room to determine the position of people or objects. The technologies on which an LPS is based can vary.
While beacon technology is based on the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) standard, which relies on the smartphone’s Bluetooth connection, Solcon’s systems mostly use radio time-of-flight measurement and auto-identification by RFID to determine the position of objects or people with the aid of certain algorithms.
RTLS (Real-Time Locating System) - Real-Time Localization
A real-time locating system, or the English equivalent RTLS (Real-Time Locating System), refers to the tracking and localization of objects or people, usually within buildings or a confined area, in real time. Wireless RTLS tags are attached to objects or worn on clothing by people. Fixed reference points receive radio signals from the tags and can thus determine their position. Examples of real-time locating systems (RTLS) include the tracking of automobiles along a production line, pallet localization in warehouse logistics or the localization of medical equipment in a hospital.
RTLS technology is usually based on a form of radio frequency communication (RF). Here, Solcon uses the UWB described above.
UWB - Ultra Wide Band
The advantage of Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology is its high transmission security. The UWB utilization signal is difficult to detect and locate because the spectral power density is kept below the thermal noise. This makes it ideally suited for military use. Therefore, UWB was used for on-board radio on warships more than 70 years ago.
With a bandwidth of at least 20% of the center frequency or at least 500 MHz, extremely large frequency ranges (3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz) are used in UWB localization. This opens up a multitude of application possibilities. Solcon uses UWB primarily for the real-time localization of people and objects over short distances, especially in indoor areas.