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Real Time Locating Systems 2009-2019

Assesses all the technologies and opportunities

Show All Description Contents, Table & Figures List Pricing Related Content
Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS) are electronic systems that are intended to locate small electronic devices on people or things at any time. There are many situations calling for RTLS, particularly now that it has become affordable and the mobile devices that are sensed have, in many cases, become small and convenient. In 2009, there are 50 RTLS suppliers, rising to 200 in 2014, reflecting the market growth from $153 Million in 2009 to $2.58 Billion in 2019.
The RTLS value chain
The RTLS value chain mainly revolves around small portable tags, almost always battery powered, interrogators, sophisticated software and system integration. However, other items of hardware are often needed and facilities management, training, support, legacy integration and other services are often involved. IDTechEx find that tags have become a larger part of RTLS cost of ownership by value. They were around 20% in past years but now they are around 35%. This is because schemes will become bigger, with more tags per interrogator and eventually even some disposable tags. There will also be add on and replacement tags for existing schemes. Tags becoming more sophisticated, sometimes with displays, sensors etc.
 
Most suppliers in the RTLS value chain are in the US where by far the largest market is situated. However, the number of European suppliers is growing rapidly and there will be significant growth in suppliers in East Asia within five years, with interesting developments in Australia and
South Africa that appear in some of the case studies we analyze in this report.
The full range of RTLS technologies and systems are analyzed, including:
  • Wi-Fi
  • Ultra Wide Band (UWB)
  • Proprietary and standardised RF systems at UHF, GHz
  • Infra-red
  • Ultrasound
  • Zigbee
  • GPS, GSM
 
Some of the options are summarized below.
 
Source: IDTechEx
RTLS Case Studies and Forecasts
This report covers over 65 RTLS case studies from around the world. For each one we give details of the what was done, the companies involved, the technology used, implementation experiences, benefits and paybacks. Hospital staff have traditionally had difficulty summoning assistance when faced with an emergency medical situation or, increasingly, physical assault. Alarm pendants have alerted backup but not given position. Timely location of a child lost in a theme park and possibly in danger has been impractical. Supply chains are traditionally tracked by RFID, barcodes and so on with a similar lack of precision. At best one knows that the package or conveyance passed a choke point at some stage and heroic assumptions are then made as to where it now resides. Vehicles are also tracked with imprecision. Postal services need to "switch the light on" and take a holistic automated approach. The antidote to these and other shortcomings is RTLS. The main applications of RTLS will be in manufacturing, military, healthcare, postal/ courier, research and development and military sectors but with increased interest from most other sectors including retail and agricultural.
 
Some of the largest companies in the world are now active in RTLS, which will become 35% of the active RFID market in only ten years. These companies include Mitsubishi, Cisco, IBM, Microsoft and Motorola.
 
The report includes ten year forecasts by tag and system technologies.
Source: IDTechEx
New Research
This report incudes a thorough consideration of the extension of the technological repertoire that will underpin the rapid adoption of RTLS in future. Standards, privacy issues and impediments to rollout of RTLS are considered. For anyone involved or seeking to get involved in supplying or benefiting from RTLS, this is a must-read report.
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Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
1.INTRODUCTION
1.1.Some factors driving greater use of RTLS
1.1.What is RTLS?
1.1.1.Definitions
1.1.2.Construction of an RTLS system
1.2.What is not RTLS
1.2.Examples of needs and concerns about RTLS in various sectors.
1.2.1.Remote location not navigation
1.2.2.RFID Radar and other options
1.3.Examples of companies with RTLS systems or appropriate parts and services and the sectors they address
1.3.Primary benefits
1.4.Relevant market needs
1.4.2.Case study: Alexandra Hospital/ Singapore National University Hospital, staff, visitors and patients, Singapore
1.5.History
1.6.Tools
1.7.ISO standard for RTLS
2.RTLS TECHNOLOGIES
2.1.Variety in technologies
2.1.Radianse view of the relative merits of some RTLS technologies
2.1.Comparison of passive tag RTLS options
2.2.Example of Zonal RTLS
2.2.Zonal
2.2.2.Supplier case study: Sovereign Tracking Systems US
2.2.3.Supplier case study: RF Code USA
2.2.4.Case study: Mercy Hospital USA
2.2.5.Case study: Felixstowe Dock and Rail Company vehicles UK
2.2.6.Case study: Brigham & Women's Hospital chooses ultrasound RTLS
2.3.Triangulation and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA)
2.3.Example of a Sovereign Tracking Systems transceiver
2.3.1.Case study: BMW vehicles Germany, UK, South Africa
2.4.Global Positioning System (GPS)
2.4.RFCode tag and interrogator
2.4.1.The satellites
2.4.2.The Master Control facility
2.4.3.Smaller and more sensitive receivers widen the possible applications
2.4.4.High sensitivity GPS receivers
2.4.5.Who uses GPS
2.4.6.Case study: Tracking children USA
2.5.Radio fingerprinting
2.5.The TAVIS system from RF Code
2.5.2.Supplier case study: AeroScout USA
2.6.Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI)
2.6.Trinity Terminal is the largest container handling facility in the UK
2.6.1.Supplier case study RFTechnologies USA
2.7.Near Field Electromagnetic Ranging (NFER)
2.7.A NAVSTAR GPS satellite
2.8.Artist's concept of the GPS satellite constellation
2.8.Real Time Locating Systems Using Passive Tags - High Volume RTLS?
2.9.System configuration needed to locate, track and monitor assets using an 802.11 network
2.10.AeroScout WiFi RTLS tags
2.11.AeroScout WiFi armbands
2.12.Complementary RFID technologies
2.13.Mojix Star system
3.CHOICE OF RFID FREQUENCY FOR RTLS
3.1.License free frequencies across the world at UHF, changing all the time
3.1.The commonly used licence free frequencies for active RFID
3.2.Technical performance for active RFID in crowded environments as a function of frequency in the view of Savi Technology
3.2.Radio regulations are changing
3.3.No ideal frequency for everything
3.3.UWB frequency spread compared with some alternative active RFID bands in the microwave region
3.4.A Ubisense healthcare application of UWB active RFID
3.4.Ultra Wide Band (UWB)
3.5.Range versus cost
3.5.Range versus cost
3.6.Frequency versus range
3.6.Frequency versus range
4.INDOOR POSITIONING SYSTEMS
4.1.IPS used to located medical equipment
4.1.Ubisense Screenshot: Typical on-stage spatial localisation zones
4.1.Required characteristics of an indoor positioning solution.
4.2.Specification of Activewave jumboTag
4.2.Ekahau WiFi tag
4.2.Case study: Opera at the Royal Albert Hall London in 2008
4.3.Supplier case study: Ekahau USA
4.3.Watchlet Resident Bracelet
4.3.Equipment Rental Costs: Financial Results*
4.4.GSH equipment purchasing costs
4.4.Activewave jumboTag
4.4.Case study: Nagoya Ekisaikai Hospital Japan
4.5.Supplier case study Hynix Semiconductor Korea
4.5.Healthcare Pilot tags
4.5.Associate Satisfaction: Nursing Satisfaction Scores
4.6.How the Healthcare Pilot RTLS system works
4.6.Case study: Palmetto Health USA
4.7.Case study: AWAREA personalised marketing/advertising, guidance for the disabled, USA
4.7.GSH equipment rental costs
4.7.1.Supplier case study: BioRfid Solutions
4.7.2.Supplier case study: Student Tracker ™ Program for Absenteeism and Dropouts
4.8.Supplier case study: Verichip Corporation USA
4.8.GSH equipment purchasing costs
4.8.1.Wander prevention
4.8.2.Infant protection
4.9.Supplier case study Axcess International Inc USA
4.9.GSH associate satisfaction
4.9.1.AXCESS Asset Activator ™
4.9.2.Patient monitoring
4.9.3.Case study: Private school attendance, USA
4.10.Supplier case study: ActiveWave Inc USA
4.10.Monitoring system for personnel tags
4.11.Zonal personnel tracking system
4.11.Supplier case study: Healthcare Pilot USA
4.12.Case study: Intelligent InSites
4.12.Using RFID to guide people
4.13.Miyake white navigation system
4.13.Case study: Holy Name Hospital USA
4.14.Case study: Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital USA
4.14.A Miyake LC Array chipless RFID tag
4.15.Hospital contact history and monitoring system
4.15.Case study: Merrimac Industries libraries and archiving USA
4.16.Case study: Borgess Medical Center patients USA
4.16.Scene at hospital
4.17.EIRIS Technology IRFIDTM Components
4.17.Case study: City halls guiding the blind Japan
4.18.Case study: Jackson Memorial; Hospital assets USA
4.18.EIRIS Technology Tags
4.19.EIRIS Data collecting and equipment tags
4.19.Case study: Klinikum Saarbrucken Hospital patients Germany
4.20.Case study: Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital equipment USA
4.20.EIRIS System Architecture
4.21.ELPAS' System Architecture
4.21.Case study: Massachusetts General Hospital patients and assets USA
4.22.Case study: Presbyterian Hospital patients USA
4.22.ELPAS' Healthcare Applications
4.23.A selection of UWB RFID tags
4.23.Case study: Changgen Memorial Hospital patients Taiwan
4.24.Case study: Tung Yuan Hospital in Hsinchu, patients Taiwan
4.24.Overall strategic design
4.25.Patient track & alarm
4.25.Case study: Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, assets, USA
4.26.Case study: Hospital patients Israel
4.26.Information systems in Wirral Hospital
4.27.Analysis - EDR/EIS
4.27.Supplier case study PanGo Networks
4.28.Case study: Washington Hospital Center, patients and assets, USA
4.28.AeroScout WiFi RTLS tags
4.29.Case study: Werribee Mercy Hospital, patient tracking, Australia
4.30.Case study: Wirral Hospital people, UK
4.31.Case study: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust assets UK
4.32.Case study: Metrotown Mall security Canada
4.33.Case study: E.S.E.G. Euro Security Group, locating barcode scanners, Germany
4.34.Case study: Boeing, Real Time Locating System (RTLS), item level, USA
4.35.Case study: Toyota, real time locating, vehicles USA
5.LONG RANGE AND OUTDOOR RTLS
5.1.Benefits and limitations
5.1.Real Time Locating Systems - long range triangulation and/or Time Delay of Arrival
5.2.WhereNet System Components
5.2.Supplier case study WhereNet USA
5.3.Case study: Broekman Group The Netherlands
5.3.Yanzou Mine
5.4.The TSI PRISM wireless (RFID) tracking system consists of three primary components:
5.4.Case study: AM General Corporation work in progress USA
5.5.Case study: Volkswagen work in progress Germany
5.5.Tag attached at the gate
5.6.The tag broadcasts its ID signal at three regular intervals
5.6.Case study: Ford Van Dyke plant work in progress and finished vehicles USA
5.7.Case study: Inco Mine equipment Canada
5.7.Hostlers get instructions via wireless terminal
5.8.A WhereNet reader locating intermodal containers in a large yard.
5.8.Case study: Yanzhou Mining Group vehicle tracking China
5.9.Case study: Marion Correctional Treatment center inmates USA
5.10.Case study: BP, people evacuation, USA
5.11.Case study: NYK Logistics, tracking containers, USA
6.COMBINED AND PARASITIC RTLS TECHNOLOGIES
6.1.Combined technologies
6.1.Agility Healthcare Solutions' mobile asset management solution
6.1.Wherify view of RTLS options
6.1.1.Combined in one tag
6.1.2.Not combined in one tag
6.2.AgileTracTM tracks the "state" of an asset
6.2.Parasitic Bluetooth and WiFi
6.2.1.Bluetooth
6.2.2.WiFi
6.2.3.Case study: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center equipment USA
6.2.4.Case study: Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull NHS Trust patients UK
6.2.5.Case study: Bon Secours Health System, equipment USA
6.2.6.Supplier case study G2 Microsystems
6.2.7.Case study: Aobaku schoolchildren, Japan
6.3.Infrared
6.3.Versus combined IR/ RFID personnel locator and alarm
6.3.1.Supplier case study: Versus Technology Inc USA
6.4.Hi-Efficiency Infrared (IR) Sensor (VER-4426)
6.4.GPS and GSM, GPRS
6.4.1.Supplier case study: Wherify USA
6.4.2.Supplier case study: Sygade/ Max ID, South Africa/ UK
6.4.3.Supplier case study: Savi Technology
6.4.4.Case Study Dow Chemical
6.4.5.Supplier case study Siemens Roke Manor
6.5.Radio Frequency (RFID) Sensor (VER-4452)
6.6.Wherifone
6.7.Wherify system
6.8.Sygade active tags and tracking units
6.9.The LoCATe device combines GPS and GSM technologies with GPRS
7.PRIVACY ISSUES
8.MARKET SIZE AND FORECASTS
8.1.Global market for RTLS in millions of dollars 1998 to 2008
8.1.Market 1998 to 2008
8.1.Global market for RTLS in millions of dollars 1998 to 2008
8.2.Cumulative sales of RTLS systems to start of 2009
8.2.Market 2009-2019
8.2.Forecast of global RTLS market by value in millions of dollars 2009-2019
8.3.Active versus Passive RFID tags, systems, software and services 2009-2019
8.3.RFID Market 2009-2019: active versus passive
8.3.Forecast of global RTLS market by value in millions of dollars 2009-2019
8.4.Active versus Passive RFID tags, systems, software and services 2009-2019
8.4.RTLS share
8.4.Total market for active RFID tags including systems
8.5.Asset tags from Axcess
8.5.Trend in importance of different parts of the RTLS value chain
8.5.RTLS technologies compared
8.6.Total market for active RFID including tags and systems
8.6.Geographical trends
8.6.Three generations of Active RFID
8.7.Applicational trends
8.7.Examples of suppliers and developers of RTLS systems
8.8.Trend of modes
8.9.Trend of frequencies
8.10.Shakeout in Real Time Locating Systems
8.11.Impressions from the IDTechEx Active RFID and RTLS Summit
8.12.The future of RTLS - mesh networks
APPENDIX 1: CONTACT DETAILS
APPENDIX 2: IDTECHEX PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH
APPENDIX 3: GLOSSARY
TABLES
FIGURES
 

Report Statistics

Pages 247
Tables 20+
Figures 70+
Case Studies 65+
Forecasts to 2019
 
 
 
 

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