Low-Power Tracking and Positioning
Combain’s advanced indoor and outdoor positioning technologies are exceptionally well suited for long-term battery life tracking and revolutionizing asset management, workforce management, and operational efficiency.
GNSS and GPS is not enough
Businesses and logistics companies require accurate, real-time tracking of high-value assets, vehicles, and shipments. Traditional GPS trackers have limitations such as high power consumption, limited indoor tracking, and susceptibility to jamming.
Key challenges include:
- Battery life constraints for tracking devices on long-haul shipments.
- Limited GPS reliability in warehouses, urban canyons, and indoor facilities.
- High costs associated with GPS-based tracking solutions.
- Security risks related to cargo theft and asset loss.
Comparison of Cell ID, WiFi, and GPS Positioning
| Feature | Cell ID Positioning | WiFi Positioning | GPS Positioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 1-5 mW (very low) | 5-50 mW (low) | 50-1000 mW (high) |
| Accuracy | 100m – 10km (depends on cell tower density) | 10-50m (depends on WiFi access point density) | <5m (clear sky) |
| Availability | Works everywhere with cellular coverage | Works indoors & urban areas with WiFi access points | Requires clear sky, fails indoors & urban canyons |
| Response Time | Instant (uses existing network connection) | Fast (~1-2 sec) | Slow (~5-30 sec for cold start, faster with A-GPS) |
| Targeted Use Case | Low-power IoT, global logistics | Indoor positioning | Outdoor positioning |
| Dependency | Cellular network availability | WiFi access points database | Satellite visibility |
| Power Efficiency vs. Accuracy Trade-off | Lowest power, worst accuracy | Balanced power & accuracy | High accuracy, highest power consumption |
- Cell ID Positioning:
- Zandbergen, P. A. (2009). “Accuracy of iPhone Locations: A Comparison of Assisted GPS, WiFi and Cellular Positioning.” Transactions in GIS, 13(1), 5-25. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9671.2009.01152.x
- Djuknic, G. M., & Richton, R. E. (2001). “Geolocation and Assisted GPS.” Computer, 34(2), 123-125. DOI: 10.1109/2.901174
- WiFi Positioning:
- Hsu, C. C., & Lin, C. J. (2015). “Wi-Fi Fingerprinting-Based Indoor Positioning: Design and Implementation.” Wireless Personal Communications, 85(1), 39-53. DOI: 10.1007/s11277-015-2726-2
- Bahl, P., & Padmanabhan, V. N. (2000). “RADAR: An In-Building RF-Based User Location and Tracking System.” Proceedings of IEEE INFOCOM 2000, 2, 775-784. DOI: 10.1109/INFCOM.2000.832252
- GPS Positioning:
- Van Diggelen, F. (2009). A-GPS: Assisted GPS, GNSS, and SBAS. Artech House.
- Kaplan, E. D., & Hegarty, C. (2017). Understanding GPS/GNSS: Principles and Applications. Artech House.
Summary
- Cell ID Positioning → Lowest power, worst accuracy. Best for coarse tracking, IoT devices.
- WiFi Positioning → Middle ground. It is more accurate than Cell ID, has lower power than GPS, and works indoors.
- GPS Positioning → Most accurate but power-hungry. Best for outdoor geolocation services.
For power-sensitive applications, Cell ID + WiFi positioning is a good alternative or complement to GPS-based tracking.
Combain offers hybrid, low-power tracking solutions that combine multiple positioning technologies to provide seamless indoor and outdoor tracking, featuring:
- Low-energy location tracking for extended battery life.
- AI-enhanced positioning that adapts to different tracking requirements
Next Steps
To get started, contact us to schedule a consultation. Learn how Seamless Indoor and Outdoor positioning can empower you.
Precise positioning of assets and personnel in indoor and outdoor environments ensures total visibility and minimizes downtime.
Flexible and cost-effective solutions for positioning in construction and facility management by using WiFi, Bluetooth, and Cell ID-based positioning. This method significantly decreases the need for large infrastructure investments.
Implementing Combain-based positioning in systems like Traxmate enables automatic monitoring of workforce safety and asset usage, helping managers prevent costly incidents and delays.
Combain provides cloud-based and on-premise solutions, enabling businesses to easily scale their positioning systems and integrate them with existing IoT and tracking systems.
Project considerations
- Use long-life battery-powered tracking devices
- Re-use existing infrastructure of WiFi access points
- Complement infrastructure with long-life battery-powered Bluetooth beacons
- Place trackers on equipment, tools, and wearables
- Combain positioning solution works seamlessly indoors and outdoors
- Combain can provide 3D indoor positions with building, floor, and room accuracy