The market offers numerous indoor locating methods (Indoor Positioning Systems) and RTLS (Real-Time Locating Systems). Each of these technologies can be used in specific business situations. In the case of indoor scenarios, it is impossible to use GPS devices, since they do not work inside buildings. TIMATE has developed its own indoor locating method which corresponds with the general assumptions of the system. First of all, TIMATE can be used to locate people and personal protective equipment indoors, e.g. in safety-related situations. Therefore, we limited the frequency and precision of locating people to the necessary minimum.
| Feature / Technology | TIMATE | Bluetooth Beacons | Smartphone with an app as a tag in WiFi | UWB Tags | Passive long-range RFID tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tag/card energy consumption | Low | Medium | High | Medium | None |
| Card/tag minimum size | Small | Small | Large | Medium | Medium |
| Locating precision | Metres | Metres | Metres | Decymetry | Metres |
| Locating method | IN-HOUSE | RSSI | RSSI | TIME OF FLIGHT | RFID UHF |
| Operating frequency | 2,4 GHz | 2,4 GHz | 2,4 GHz 5 Ghz | 3-7Ghz | 860 MHz |
| Locating frequency | 1 minute or high (if accident occurs) | High | High | High | |
| MESH radio network between main units/anchors | |||||
| Tag/card range to the main unit/anchor | Up to 100 m | Up to 20 m | Up to 50 m | Up to 15 m | Up to 10 m |
| Two-way communication with tag/card | |||||
| Detection of tags/cards proximity | |||||
| Connection of main unit/anchors to Ethernet | One | None or All | All | All | All |
| Employee screen on the tag/card | |||||
| Key purpose of indoor locating | People, Personal Protective Equipment, Objects | People, Objects | People | Vehicles, Objects, People | Objects |
| A smartphone required |