Asset Tracking and Location Technologies for Internet of Things
- 1. Asset Tracking in the IoT 8/28/17 Thanks for joining: We will begin at 2 minutes past 12PM EDT, to allow everyone time to join.
- 3. Agenda • Business Use Cases for Asset Tracking • Technologies for Location • Time Based – GPS, UWB, Wi-Fi • Proximity Based – BLE, Wi-Fi, cellular • How Link Labs’ AirFinder System achieves low cost location using: • BLE + LoRa + LTE Cat-M1 + Wi-Fi
- 4. Have a question or comment? Live Chat Question not answered? forum.link-labs.com
- 5. Who is Link Labs? • IoT Technology Company – based in Maryland, USA • Build and integrate complex industrial and enterprise IoT systems. • Focused on location: www.AirFinder.com • LTE Cat-M1, Symphony Link (LoRa), and Bluetooth Low Energy • Interested in how we can help? webinar@link-labs.com
- 6. Location is a Killer App for IOT • According to Intel: Location is at least a part of >70% of IoT applications. Logistics Healthcare Meters Manufacturing Construction Service Delivery Smart City GPS UWB Wi-Fi BLE Vertical Tech
- 7. How Location Creates Value Monitoring - Location of Fleet - Where is an employee? - Where is material for job? Control - Change settings based on weather - Stop a vehicle leaving a campus Optimization - Fertilizer application based on location and image analysis - Driver directions for fastest route - Where is the free parking? Autonomy - Ship replacement based on delay - Order more based on usage - Change staffing based on work-in- progress status
- 9. Use Case: Smart Manufacturing Problem: A manufacture relies on barcode scans to move work-in- progress (WIP) components through a multi step manufacturing, test, and rework process. Parts are sometimes delayed because they fail to move to the next station, and a dispatcher must manually track them down. Solution: Implement an indoor asset tracking system where WIP is tagged. An indoor location system is installed throughout the plant. Technology: Bluetooth Tags, Reference Points, LPWAN, Cellular Backhaul. Alternatives: Ultra Wide Band, Wi-Fi
- 10. Use Case: Commercial Consumable Management Problem: A supplier delivers an industrial consumable product to business customers. An opportunity for savings based on optimizing delivery and inventory is identified, but usage and inventory levels are hard to track across customers. Solution: Implement a life cycle tracking and monitoring system, where units are tracked inside fulfillment centers and delivery vehicles, and usage sensors help automate delivery plans. Technology: Bluetooth Tags, GPS Access Points, LTE-M, LPWAN in plant. Alternatives: GPS Tags
- 11. Use Case: Logistics Problem: A manufacture uses material produced by a network of suppliers. Work must be planned based on availability of material, which is brought by truck. Planned vs. actual deliveries cause delays and downtime. Solution: Implement a multi stage tracking system where pallets are tracked with cellular and then trailers are tracked with proximity in the receiving yard. Technology: LTE-M + Bluetooth Tags, Reference Points Alternatives: GPS, Satellite, 2G
- 12. Use Case: Construction Management Problem: A general contractor makes prefab assemblies offsite, but they can be lost when moved to the site before they are ready to install. They also want to understand subcontractor movements. Solution: Implement a multi stage tracking system where assemblies are tracked in the prefab site, in transit, and then on the jobsite. A low-infrastructure, temporary indoor system tracks workers. Technology: GPS + Bluetooth + LTE-M Tag, BLE Reference Points
- 13. Use Case: Service Delivery Problem: A telecom company loses expensive equipment when repair personnel leave it behind at jobs. Solution: Implement an asset tagging system where last known location is captured, along with exception notifications when items are not on a truck when it is moving. Technology: Bluetooth Tags, GPS+LTE-M Access Point in Truck
- 14. Other Use Cases • Healthcare Real Time Location (RTLS) • Vehicle and Key Tracking for Large Dealers and Brokers • Tracking Ground Service Equipment at Airports • Monitoring Personnel in Mines
- 15. Use Case Technology Implications • Location is multi-modal • Seamless indoor / outdoor capability • Tag cost is largest variable cost • Cellular data must be managed carefully
- 16. Location Technology - Time • Time is distance (speed of light) • One way, single distance cannot be calculated because clocks must be synchronized to know when transmission was sent. • Round trip range is technically harder, because detecting and responding in a deterministic way takes more processing • Therefore most systems use a time difference of arrival (TDOA), to compare the difference between reception times. Still requires syncing clocks. A B A B A B C Tag
- 17. How GPS Works • Satellite data is sent out (Ephemeris and Almanac) • Cold vs. Warm Starts • Auto-correlation and cross-correlation
- 18. GPS • ~6m “clear sky” accuracy • Power hungry (30-40mA) • Antenna must have an “almost” view of the sky • Multipath (cities) can degrade solution
- 19. TDOA Systems • Wi-Fi, UWB, Microwave Ranging • Generally a tag sends up a packet which is time stamped by multiple receivers • Hyperbolic solutions are created by comparing TOA between points. • Time must be synced between receivers. Network time and/or time packets exchange. • Gold standard of indoor accuracy, but require significant infrastructure and calibration.
- 21. Proximity • Received Signal Strength Mapping • Nearest / Loudest Neighbor A B C D When the tag is beaconing the server must compare all signals to calculate location.
- 22. Proximity • Received Signal Strength Mapping • Nearest / Loudest Neighbor A B C D When the infrastructure beacons, tags calculate location, and report it back. This saves on data, improves accuracy, and lowers latency.
- 23. Accuracy vs. Scale Source: Researchgate
- 24. Typical Indoor - Outdoor LTE- M BLE Receiver LPWAN Gateway BLE Receiver LPWAN BLE Reference GPS
- 25. Alternate Indoor - Outdoor BLE Reference LTE-M BLE Receiver Wi-Fi Receiver Wi-Fi AP (or LTE only location)
- 26. Asset Tracking with Bluetooth Location API Application LTE Cat-M1 Symphony Link
- 27. AirFinder BLE Desk 1 Desk 2 Desk 3 Desk 4 Low cost beacons improve accuracy. Long battery life. Very low data usage. Bluetooth supports multimode architecture.
- 28. Demo
- 29. Questions
- 30. Follow Up • webinar@link-labs.com • https://forum.link-labs.com