Tracking and monitoring assets, resources, and workers inside a workplace has gained immense traction in recent years. The countless wireless technology options that promise an accurate as well as an efficient system for tracking and monitoring, have only made the choice more difficult. Technology suitable for one scenario could turn out to be the worst option for another.
A workplace is often a repository of critical information and confidential zones so, precision here cannot be compromised. Most workplaces are equipped with heavy and complex machinery that emits waves of various frequencies. This means that the wireless tracking technology must operate within an uncommon frequency range, in a bid to avoid any potential interference. Thus, considering all factors and workplace requirements, a UWB-based RTLS perfectly fits the bill for its precise and resilient nature, among other features. The UWB’s operating frequency of 3.1 - 10.6GHz (away from the crowded 2.4GHz) is an added advantage.
Figure 1: UWB-based RTLS giving the locations of the employees
Typically, an RTLS in a workplace serves the following purposes –
- Automatic attendance monitoring
- Keyless entry
- Easy scheduling of meeting rooms
- Asset tracking for safety and easy identification
- Geo-fencing
The following features are expected of an efficient tracking and monitoring system –
- Real-time accurate tracking
- Availability of location history data
- Analytics related to working hours and other timings
- Alert and notifications
- Easy to use and intuitive user interface.
With real-time tracking information and tracking history of employees and assets, a serious problem can be identified before it becomes a crisis.
Preventing the spread of a contagious disease by contact tracing
Figure 2: UWB-based RTLS tracking employee movements
When you have historical tracking data for every employee, you can single out the movement history of an affected individual and seal particular areas to prevent the health risk to the other employees.
With the emergence of COVID-19 all around the world, the need for employee safety has taken center stage. As the workplace becomes the hub where workers from different sections and regions, with different travel histories, regularly interact, it becomes imperative to keep a record of the movements of every employee. When any worker tests positive, RTLS can provide contact tracing, and thereby, the areas and other workers the infected individual has come in contact with, ultimately preventing any further spread of the disease.
How RTLS Solutions are helping to contain the coronavirus and other infectious outbreaks
- By identifying suspected potential cases: Contact tracing to identify potential cases.
- By recognizing the need for sanitizing rooms or areas where a person has been: Location tracking.
- By recognizing the need to sanitize assets, such as laptops and other equipment used by a specific person.
- By enabling quick tracing of important assets in hospitals and emergency care centres, for improving their efficiency.
Preventing an imminent danger by geo-fencing
Figure 3: UWB-based RTLS restricted the access of an unauthorized employee
Real-time tracking and monitoring of employees and assets can proactively alert the concerned facility of any security breach before it’s too late. Here again, precision plays a big role. CMS level accuracy of a UWB-based RTLS can provide an alert of the breach sooner.
Detecting of unusual movement
Figure 4: UWB-based RTLS tracking unusual employee movement
RTLS is most commonly used to track and monitor the movements of people and assets, thus it can be used to track unusual occurrences. When a movement is expected but there’s none, proactive alerts from the RTLS can inform managers before the situation gets out of hand.
For instance, when workers’ movements are monitored, a deviation from a normal route or lingering in a location for longer than usual can indicate an abnormality, and RTLS can instantly alert operators to send support or take necessary action.
The above solution using RTLS can assist in preventing the progress of an infection in other confined areas that are generally meant for public use.
For instance, a hospital:
Figure 5: UWB-based RTLS tracking staff, patients in a hospital
In a retail store:
Figure 6: UWB-based RTLS tracking shopping carts in a retail store
We provide a ready-to-use RTLS reference solution, and we also build custom positioning solutions to meet your specific requirements
- End-to-end product engineering services
- Independent hardware design and custom integration with other products
- Consultation services.
Do you have any specific tracking use-case in mind? Are you planning to deploy a tracking system in your premises, or integrate with an existing system?
If you have any queries regarding the specifications and pricing, contact us at marcom@pathpartnertech.com
