GPS-less indoor/outdoor tracking with IoT wireless networking technologies

Speaker: Maarten Weyn, Professor, Universiteit Antwerpen & imec

Company/ Institute: Universiteit Antwerpen

Event: 23rd workshop

Date: 19 June 2017

Abstract:

Most track-&-trace solutions that are currently used in logistics (to track containers, for instance) only support a single communication technology. Each technology has its limitations though; some perform better indoors – others are meant to be used outdoors. As a result, in order to efficiently track and trace goods that are moving from point A to point B, multiple communication technologies might be required.

Until now, attempts to combine multiple technologies in a single solution were suboptimal – as they resulted in larger, battery-draining and costly devices.

The low-power communication and localization solution for heterogeneous environments that has been developed by imec – University of Antwerp does combine a number of communication technologies relevant for tracking and tracing goods – while meeting requirements in terms of size, cost and energy-consumption.

The technology offers a seamless handover between UHF GEN 2, Active RFID – DASH7, LoRa and Sigfox by integrating both active and passive communication into a single antenna hardware design – while also supporting adaptive localization.

Slides: click here to download (Community members only, login required)