Low-Cost UWB Based Real-Time Locating System: Development, Lab Test, Industrial Implementation and Economic...

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Computer Science
• Industrial Technology

Background:

• Traditional asset tracking systems can be prohibitively expensive, especially for small, medium, and micro-sized enterprises.
• There is a need for cost-effective and accurate real-time locating systems (RTLS) in industrial environments.
• Ultra-Wideband (UWB) radio frequency (RF) technology offers high precision for indoor positioning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To technically develop and test a UWB-based RTLS for industrial applications.
• To evaluate the system's performance in both laboratory and real industrial settings.
• To assess the economic feasibility and potential adoption of a low-cost RTLS solution.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the commercial Qorvo MDEK1001 Radio Indoor Positioning System, leveraging UWB RF technology.
• Implemented RF-tags on items of interest within an area covered by fixed anchor antennas.
• Conducted testing sessions in an Italian laboratory and a real industrial environment to identify optimal configurations.

Main Results:

• The UWB-based RTLS demonstrated effective performance in tracking assets and work in progress in industrial settings.
• Testing identified optimal system configurations based on selected performance indicators.
• An economic assessment confirmed the low-cost nature and investment feasibility of the developed solution.

Conclusions:

• The proposed UWB RTLS is a viable and cost-effective solution for industrial asset and work-in-progress tracking.
• The system's affordability makes it particularly suitable for small-, medium-, and micro-sized enterprises.
• This work provides practical guidance for businesses considering the adoption of similar UWB-based tracking systems.