Resources
RTLS Glossary
The vocabulary of real-time location, in plain terms — the technologies, the hardware and the protocols.
AI Powered Cameras
AI powered camera technology uses computer vision and machine learning models to interpret visual data captured by cameras and convert it into usable location and behavior insights. Instead of relying on radio signals or physical tags, these systems analyze video frames to identi
Read definitionInfrastructureAnchors
Anchors are fixed reference hardware components installed at known, static locations within a facility. Their primary role is to provide stable spatial reference points that allow the RTLS to calculate the position of mobile tags as they move through the environment.
Read definitionHardwareAntennas
Antennas are the physical interfaces that convert electrical signals into radio waves for transmission and back into electrical signals for reception. In an RTLS environment, they are the critical components found within tags, anchors, and gateways that enable the wireless exchan
Read definitionInfrastructureBeacons
Beacons are compact, battery-powered wireless transmitters that broadcast a constant signal to announce their presence to nearby devices. In a location system, they serve as fixed reference points or mobile identifiers that allow for proximity detection and zonal tracking.
Read definitionTechnologiesBluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a wireless personal area network technology designed specifically for short-range communication with minimal power consumption. Unlike classic Bluetooth used for audio streaming, BLE transmits small packets of data periodically.
Read definitionTechnologiesChirp Spread Spectrum
Chirp Spread Spectrum is a radio modulation technique that transmits data using frequency swept signals known as chirps. Instead of sending information at a fixed frequency, CSS spreads each transmission across a wide bandwidth by continuously increasing or decreasing frequency o
Read definitionTechnologiesGPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based positioning technology that determines location by calculating the distance between a receiver and multiple satellites orbiting the Earth. GPS receivers measure signal travel time from satellites to estimate geographic coor
Read definitionInfrastructureGateways
Gateways are network hardware components that act as the primary communication bridge between the local wireless environment and the central management system. While tags move and anchors or beacons provide reference, the gateway is the central point that collects data from vario
Read definitionTechnologiesInfrared
Infrared (IR) is an indoor location sensing technology that uses invisible infrared light to identify presence within clearly defined physical spaces. It operates in the near infrared spectrum and relies on direct optical communication between tags or badges and fixed sensors ins
Read definitionTechnologiesLiDAR
Light Detection and Ranging, commonly known as LiDAR, is a sensing technology that uses laser pulses to measure distance and generate detailed spatial representations of physical environments. By emitting short bursts of light and measuring how long they take to return after refl
Read definitionTechnologiesLoRa
Long Range, commonly known as LoRa, is a low power wide area network technology designed for long distance communication with minimal energy usage. Unlike short range wireless systems, LoRa focuses on transmitting small data packets over very large areas using sub GHz radio frequ
Read definitionProtocols & APIsMQTT
MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) is a lightweight messaging protocol designed for reliable data exchange between devices in distributed systems. It was created to operate efficiently over low-bandwidth, high-latency, or unreliable networks, making it well suited for IoT
Read definitionTechnologiesMagnetic Field Mapping
Magnetic Field Mapping is an indoor positioning approach that uses naturally occurring distortions in the Earth’s magnetic field to determine location. Inside buildings, steel structures, reinforced concrete, electrical systems, and machinery alter the ambient magnetic field in u
Read definitionTechnologiesNFC
Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short-range wireless technology used for secure, intentional data exchange at very close distances. Operating at 13.56 MHz, NFC enables communication only when devices are brought within a few centimeters of each other.
Read definitionProtocols & APIsREST API
REST API (Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface) is a web-based integration approach used to exchange data between systems using standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. It exposes structured resources such as assets, locations, tags, and
Read definitionTechnologiesRFID
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a wireless technology used to identify and record the presence of tagged objects using radio waves. RFID systems consist of tags attached to assets and readers that detect those tags when they pass within range.
Read definitionHardwareReaders
Readers are hardware components used primarily in RFID and proximity-based location systems to identify and communicate with tags. While the term is often used interchangeably with anchors, readers specifically function by energizing or interrogating tags to extract their unique
Read definitionHardwareSensors
Sensors detect and measure physical properties from the environment and convert them into digital data. In a location system, sensors provide the situational context such as movement, temperature, or orientation that transforms a simple coordinate into a complete picture of an as
Read definitionTechnologiesUltra Wideband (UWB)
Ultra Wideband (UWB) is a radio technology designed for high precision location tracking in real time. It operates by transmitting extremely short pulses across a wide frequency spectrum, typically between 3.1 and 10.6 GHz.
Read definitionTechnologiesUltrasound
Ultrasound is an indoor positioning technology that uses high frequency sound waves above the range of human hearing to determine precise location. These sound waves typically operate between 20 kHz and 100 kHz and travel significantly slower than radio signals, which allows syst
Read definitionTechnologiesWi-Fi
Wireless Fidelity, commonly known as Wi-Fi, is a wireless networking technology originally designed for data communication. In Real Time Location Systems (RTLS), Wi-Fi is also used to estimate the location of people and assets by analyzing how wireless signals interact with the i
Read definitionTechnologiesZigBee
ZigBee is a low power wireless communication technology designed for short range connectivity in environments that require stable, long running device networks. Operating primarily in the 2.4 GHz ISM band, it supports large numbers of connected devices while keeping energy consum
Read definition