RTLS
what is an RTLS?
Real-Time Location System (RTLS) is a technology solution, which used to automatically identify and track the location of objects or people in real time, capturing data and knowledge about events exactly as they occur, mainly within a building or a contained area. It leads to having a transparent and optimize asset utilization in daily operations. RTLS has a close relation to IoT, Big Data and smart technologies.
How does RTLS work?
- Embedded in a product, such as a mobile phone or a navigational system,
- Most such systems consist of wireless nodes, typically tags or badges, that emit signals and readers that receive those signals and relayed back to the location processors,
- While this move, the tag sends transmissions to fixed receivers in the space,
- All of this spatial data is stored, and software can be used to interpret it – turning RTLS data into a virtual representation of the environment
Not only does this give people powerful insight into exactly what’s going on in their area of interest, but it can actually be used to control what is happening in real life.
RTLS is characterized by this definitions:
- Responsiveness; how quickly could recognize the location of components
- Accuracy; how the estimation is close to the reality of components
- Life expectancy; how long a tag lasts, how often the tag or battery has to be replaced
- Tolerance; how they realize consistent result of goods
- Scalability; how many tags could be located on them.
Where do we use RTLS?
For manufacturers, implementing an RTLS solution can deliver these benefits:
- Measurable cost reduction, with lean, optimized procedures throughout the assembly process.
- Guaranteed productivity gains, as errors and wasted time, are reduced or eliminated.
- Reduced cost of quality, by maximizing right-first-time and reducing the cost of rework.
- Manage product customization, through error-proofing and guidance in increasingly variable manual processes.
RTLS and Technologies
There are several technologies used to accomplish this. By the technology used, the market is further segmented into radio frequency identification (RFID), WiFi, ultra-wideband (UWB), ultrasound, infrared (IR), Zigbee, GPS, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and WhereNet. These are the most applicable and well-developed:
Infrared RTLS; works the same way as your television remote, placed on an asset flashes a unique infrared ID at a fixed interval, which is picked up by a ceiling-mounted infrared reader
- WiFi RTLS; uses tags that transmit a WiFi signal to multiple access points throughout the building. Using differential-time-of-arrival methods, the receivers are able to locate the tag
- ultra-wideband (UWB); is the gold standard in terms of location precision. It uses small, low-powered tags that transmit an ultra wide-band signal using a spark-gap-style transmitter.
- Passive RFID; is the type of technology you’ve seen in libraries and retail stores and uses simple, battery-free tags and high-power readers
- Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE); Active RTLS uses battery-powered sensors that connect to various access points throughout the building and transfer data to the cloud.
Our client which is a private bank has used this technology to track their valuable objects inside the headquarter of the bank.
The system is also designed to provide reports of the positions, presence, etc.
Contact us if you need to know more about this technology.
