There are many advantages to indoor positioning: it can increase efficiency and safety as well as improve logistics. But how can we choose the most suitable among all the different technologies and systems?
The most cost-effective indoor positioning system in the world
Of all the various technologies, UWB radio technology, of which Iiwari Tracking Solutions has developed a clear, inexpensive and easy-to-install product for the market, achieves the most accurate positioning results
- UWB positioning already provides the best accuracy due to its use of radio technology. In theory, it achieves a 3 mm accuracy, though in practice, the figure is commonly 10 cm in an open space, says Software Developer Janne Väre. – Another advantage of UWB is that only a small number of base stations are needed compared to, for example, Bluetooth-based positioning.
Accuracy, easy installation, scalability of positioning data – learn about the benefits of the indoor positioning system developed by Iiwari, where high-quality development work is reflected in a cost-effective end product.
1. Less cables – easier and cheaper installation
Before the potential of indoor positioning can be unlocked, we will need to build a comprehensive network infrastructure. The construction of networks and base stations represents a large part of the total investments necessary for carrying out indoor positioning. Therefore, it is in the client’s interest that the installation of the positioning system is as easy and fast as possible.
- The system consists of only three components, of which only the master base station requires a network cable, as basic base stations only need electricity to operate. The low number of necessary cables directly contributes to ease of installation and lower costs, says Software Architect Pertti Erkkilä.
This wireless synchronisation is based on a patent obtained from the Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd (VTT), which the company’s founding team helped to develop at VTT. Another important technical innovation regarding the installation is autocalibration, whose algorithms allow the base stations to locate themselves.
2. There is no need for big hardware investments thanks to the product’s ingenious microservice architecture
It is important to consider the price of electronics and equipment when introducing new technology. Iiwari’s strength lies in the fact that their positioning solution does not require large investments in equipment. There is no need for expensive special servers, but one can simply use quite ordinary, low-cost computers as a gateway between the cloud service and the positioning network’s base station. This has been enabled by Iiwari’s investment in lean software and microservice architecture. The product’s ingenious software architecture builds on the separate smaller parts of the application program and their integration.
One component of Iiwari’s software architecture is GO language. It is largely thanks to this that very simple machines can be used as gateways. GO was originally designed for multitasking and rotating background systems, so it is able to meet many of the challenges of indoor positioning effectively.
3. A distributed cloud service minimises costs
Accurate real-time indoor positioning produces huge amounts of data at any given time, and as a result, storing data can produce considerable costs. The question is, how can one keep cloud costs at bay despite the ever-increasing amount of positioning data?
- We use small and efficient cloud services, open-source systems and our own code, Erkkilä says. – Data is distributed across multiple servers, so if one of them crashes, not all data is lost. Thanks to its modular structure, the system can also run on companies’ own internal networks.
4. Thanks to scalability, there is no upper limit to the amount of stored positioning data
As indoor positioning becomes more common, this will lead to the generation of an almost limitless amount of positioning data. Therefore, it is important to develop cost-effective solutions for the operation of the entire system, from algorithms to cloud services. At Iiwari, we are constantly developing our technology and system by introducing small measures that can increase overall efficiency.
- We calculate positioning data using ToF and TDoA methods, and we have worked to improve the algorithms that these are based on. Our system is linearly scalable, meaning that capacity can be expanded as positioning needs increase. Positioning information will be immediately available on site, even without an internet connection.
5. Cheap and easy maintenance
Our positioning information system is based on our high-level expertise in algorithms as well as that related to hardware and software. It has been designed so that installation is effortless and automatic monitoring minimises the amount of necessary maintenance work. The system can also recover automatically from both mains and power outages.
Perhaps the most ingenious and cost-effective indoor positioning solution in the world
Iiwari Tracking Solutions, a pioneer in indoor positioning, has its roots in VTT and long-term UWB research. Iiwari innovates in cost-effective network solutions and products based on UWB technology for increasingly accurate and reliable indoor positioning.
