Summary
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 2008, there are 50 RTLS suppliers, rising to 200 in 2013, reflecting the market growth from $145 Million in 2008 to $2.7 Billion in 2018.
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. We 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 36%. 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.
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 40% 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.
New Research
This report includes 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.
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. What is RTLS?
1.1.1. Definitions
1.1.2. Construction of an RTLS system
1.2. What is not RTLS
1.2.1. Remote location not navigation
1.2.2. RFID Radar and other options
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
2.2. 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. Supplier case study Tagtec Australia
2.2.6. Case study: Felixstowe Dock and Rail Company vehicles UK
2.2.7. Case study: Brigham & Women's Hospital chooses ultrasound RTLS
2.3. Triangulation and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA)
2.3.1. Case study: BMW vehicles Germany, UK, South Africa
2.4. Global Positioning System (GPS)
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
2.5.2. Supplier case study: AeroScout USA
2.6. Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI)
2.6.1. Supplier case study RFTechnologies USA
2.7. Near Field Electromagnetic Ranging (NFER)
2.8. RFID radar
2.8.1. Supplier case study Trolley Scan South Africa
2.8.2. Case study: Highway non-stop tolling USA
2.9. Mesh networks linking RTLS tags, interrogators and systems
3. CHOICE OF RFID FREQUENCY FOR RTLS
3.2. Radio regulations are changing
3.3. No ideal frequency for everything
3.4. Ultra Wide Band (UWB)
4. INDOOR POSITIONING SYSTEMS
4.1. IPS used to located medical equipment
4.2. Supplier case study: Ekahau USA
4.3. Case study: Nagoya Ekisaikai Hospital Japan
4.4. Supplier case study Hynix Semiconductor Korea
4.5. Case study: Palmetto Health USA
4.6. Case study: AWAREA personalised marketing/advertising, guidance for the disabled, USA
4.6.1. Supplier case study: BioRfid Solutions
4.6.2. Supplier case study: Student Tracker ? Program for Absenteeism and Dropouts
4.7. Supplier case study: Verichip Corporation USA
4.7.1. Wander prevention
4.7.2. Infant protection
4.8. Supplier case study Axcess International Inc USA
4.8.1. AXCESS Asset Activator ?
4.8.2. Patient monitoring
4.8.3. Case study: Private school attendance, USA
4.9. Supplier case study: ActiveWave Inc USA
4.10. Supplier case study: Healthcare Pilot USA
4.11. Case study: Holy Name Hospital USA
4.12. Case study: Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital USA
4.13. Case study: Merrimac Industries libraries and archiving USA
4.14. Case study: Borgess Medical Center patients USA
4.15. Case study: City halls guiding the blind Japan
4.16. Case study: Jackson Memorial; Hospital assets USA
4.17. Case study: Klinikum Saarbrucken Hospital patients Germany
4.18. Case study: Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital equipment USA
4.19. Case study: Massachusetts General Hospital patients and assets USA
4.20. Case study: Presbyterian Hospital patients USA
4.21. Case study: Changgen Memorial Hospital patients Taiwan
4.22. Case study: Tung Yuan Hospital in Hsinchu, patients Taiwan
4.23. Case study: Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, assets, USA
4.24. Case study: Hospital patients Israel
4.25. Supplier case study PanGo Networks
4.26. Case study: Washington Hospital Center, patients and assets, USA
4.27. Case study: Werribee Mercy Hospital, patient tracking, Australia
4.28. Case study: Wirral Hospital people, UK
...
APPENDIX 1: CONTACT DETAILS
APPENDIX 2: PUBLICATIONS
APPENDIX 3: GLOSSARY
