How Wirepas’ low-power mesh technology provides a reliable, affordable, and highly scalable way to track your assets

Introduction

Wirepas is a Finland-headquartered technology company that specialises in providing wireless connectivity solutions. The company has developed a unique platform that is specifically designed for large-scale IoT (Internet of Things) deployments. This platform not only offers wireless connectivity at a massive scale but does so in a cost-efficient manner, making it a preferred solution for businesses and organisations looking to implement IoT technologies.

A Deep Dive into Wirepas Mesh Technology

The key feature of Wirepas is its self-healing mesh technology. The Wirepas Mesh network is a robust technology that enables reliable, scalable, and power-efficient connectivity for devices. The mesh network is designed so that each device within the network can communicate effectively with every other device, ensuring seamless data transmission and reception.

This makes it an ideal solution for applications that need to collect real-time data from a large number of devices.

100% battery-operated

The Wirepas Mesh network is extremely power-efficient, which means it can run on battery-powered devices and achieve a long battery life.  This is an incredibly important factor in large-scale IoT deployments where devices may be operating continuously and in remote locations over a number of years, and a key differentiator from other RTLS solutions based on WiFi, UWB, and Bluetooth.

The power-efficiency of the Wirepas Mesh network helps to significantly reduce the overall operating costs of these deployments. Battery-powered devices eliminates the need for expensive data-cabling, and makes it possible to track even constantly moving objects.

The Wirepas connectivity stack is hardware agnostic, meaning it can operate on a wide range of devices from different vendors.

Minimal RF planning

RF planning can be the most costly part of establishing an RF mesh, but with Wirepas mesh, you don't have to worry about it. Wirepas-enabled devices handle the bulk of the work autonomously, finding each other and forming the network on their own.

Every device added to the network extends the coverage and strengthens the signal. Expanding the network is as simple as adding new devices, with no special tools or additional network planning required.

Wirepas-based device networks are future-proof. They allow for over-the-air software updates and upgrades. The network can grow organically simply by adding new devices, which integrate themselves autonomously into the network. No complex network planning is required.

Dynamic route selection

Wirepas connectivity is designed for massive scale use. It has been tested with 1500 devices within a cubic meter, and encountered no communication issues. It can achieve this by utilising all available channels, with devices automatically selecting the unoccupied ones. This results in no interference or bandwidth issues, just a network operating as intended.

What makes it versatile?

Range and Density: Although mesh communication may achieve coverage, the range between two devices will still be slightly influenced by radio performance. Wirepas provides three radio profiles to best fit different environments. 5G Mesh employs the latest radio technology, ensuring a reliable multi-kilometre range between devices within the mesh network. Alternatively, Mesh 2.4 GHz and Mesh Sub-GHz are ideal for massive indoor or deep indoor applications.

Performance and Power Consumption: Wirepas offers two operational modes that can be combined. In the low-energy mode, a router consumes as little as 40µA at 2.4 GHz, with the trade-off being longer latencies and lower throughput. In contrast, the high-performance mode allows for low latency and high throughput but at the expense of increased power consumption.

Wirepas supports all communication directions – uplink, downlink, node to node – and addressing modes – unicast, multicast, broadcast. Network capacity can be adjusted simply by adding gateways, which you can do at any time if you do need more throughput.

Sensor Data

In addition to reporting their positions, most Wirepas nodes are capable of sending sensor data, which dramatically increases the potential applications of Wirepas technology. Incorporating sensor data into the Wirepas network allows for real-time monitoring of a variety of environmental conditions, which in turn provides actionable insights into your assets.

This is key to understanding the potential value of a Wirepas solution, for not only can you know where the asset is, you can also know if it has exceeded a particular temperature range, been exposed to excessive vibration, or dropped, or any number of other conditions, depending on the type of sensor.

The ability of Wirepas nodes to send sensor data greatly enhances the functionality and applicability of the Wirepas network, enabling businesses to leverage the Internet of Things not just for connectivity, but for detailed, real-time monitoring.

The Wirepas Ecosystem

The Wirepas ecosystem is a broad network of partners that contribute to the development and application of Wirepas technology. This ecosystem comprises hardware and software vendors, system integrators, and service providers who work together to deliver end-to-end IoT solutions.

Hardware vendors within the ecosystem provide the necessary devices, such as sensors and gateways, that are compatible with Wirepas Mesh. Developers, on the other hand, create applications and platforms that can leverage the capabilities of the Wirepas Mesh network, such as our own tagscout application.

As a Wirepas partner, our role in the ecosystem is to bring these components together to create bespoke IoT solutions that are tailored and optimised for the specific needs of each customer.

The Wirepas ecosystem is a testament to the versatility and applicability of Wirepas technology. It allows for the deployment of Wirepas technology in various industries and use cases, making it a truly scalable and adaptable solution for IoT.

Now lets take a look at some real-world use cases for Wirepas technology in various sectors.

Wirepas in Manufacturing

The key driver for investment in location tracking technology in manufacturing is the desire for increased operational efficiency. Here are a  few ways Wirepas can help:

Real-time Asset Tracking: Keeping track of machinery, equipment, and inventory in real-time can be a daunting task in large manufacturing facilities. Wirepas' mesh network technology can provide real-time location data, ensuring accurate asset tracking and inventory management.

Predictive Maintenance: Unplanned downtime due to machinery failure can lead to significant losses. Wirepas' ability to collect real-time sensor data from machinery can enable predictive maintenance, for example, excessive vibration, identifying potential issues before they lead to failure.

Energy Efficiency: With the rising costs of energy, manufacturing facilities are constantly on the lookout for ways to reduce energy consumption. Wirepas' sensors can be used to collect power-consumption data down to individual machines, allowing for better energy management and cost savings.

Safety and Compliance: Ensuring the safety of workers and compliance with regulations is a major concern in manufacturing. Wirepas' technology can help monitor environmental conditions and alert management to potential safety hazards or non-compliant situations. It can also help alert to man-down emergencies where you have staff working in isolated areas.

Process Optimisation: Efficient workflow and process optimization are key to improving productivity in manufacturing. With the real-time data provided by Wirepas, manufacturers can gain insights into their operations and identify areas for improvement.

Wirepas in Logistics

The logistics sector is highly competitive, and failure to meet agreed KPIs often leads to penalties. Streamlining operations and being quick to notice bottlenecks and potential problems is key to success.

Real-time Asset Tracking: Logistics often involves the handling of a large number of items, and tracking them in real-time can be a complex task. Fortunately Wirepas' is designed to handle large numbers, providing accurate location data at all times, through the fulfilment process.

Condition Monitoring: Wirepas, sensor data can be used to monitor the conditions of goods, alerting the necessary parties if there are changes in temperature, humidity or other crucial parameters.

Efficiency and Optimisation: In logistics, efficiency is key. Wirepas can help understand the movement and utilisation of non-inventory assets, such as pallet truck and cages, even people, allowing for process optimisation and better resource allocation.

Security: Theft and loss of goods and non-inventory assets, such as HHTs, are significant concerns in the logistics sector. Wirepas technology can help monitor and track assets, alerting you if they leave a pre-defined area.

Scalability: As logistics operations grow, the network infrastructure needs to scale accordingly. With Wirepas, the network can grow organically by simply adding new devices, making it a scalable solution for large logistics operations.

Wirepas in Hospitals

Hospitals are constantly trying to do more with limited resources, and  Wirepas technology can address several challenges:

Equipment Monitoring: Hospitals use a large number of expensive and critical equipment, much of which is mobile. Staff can waste a lot of time searching for equipment even within departments. Real-time monitoring of these assets can prevent loss, increase utilisation, and over time reduce capital expenditure. Another example, running out of wheelchairs in the reception area can result in patients being late for appointments, and further cascading delays.

Environment Monitoring: Certain areas in hospitals like operating theatres, ICUs, and storage areas require strict environmental control. Wirepas can help monitor environmental conditions in real-time, alerting management to potential safety hazards or non-compliant situations.

Staff Coordination: Effective communication and quick decision-making are crucial in hospitals. Wirepas technology can facilitate better staff coordination by providing real-time location data of staff within the hospital premises.

Patient Tracking: In large hospitals, keeping track of patients, particularly those with dementia, children, or those in post-operative care, can be difficult. Wirepas' mesh network technology can provide real-time location data, ensuring accurate patient tracking and safety.

Patient Health Monitoring: For patients with chronic conditions, constant health monitoring is vital. Wirepas nodes, if integrated with wearable health devices, could provide continuous health monitoring, alerting healthcare professionals of any significant changes in patient vitals, even fall detection.

How we use Wirepas in our tagscout application

We’ve developed our own IoT application called tagscout, which leverages Wirepas to pinpoint the location of assets, items, or individuals and to provide our users with real-time updates and tracking information.

We use this positioning data together with sensor data to provide actionable insights and customisable alerts, so decisions can be made quickly and operations streamlined.

In addition to location tracking, Wirepas' positioning data also enables us to set up geofencing capabilities in tagscout, which allows for the creation of designated areas where certain actions can be triggered once a tagged asset enters or leaves the space.

By integrating Wirepas' robust positioning data into tagscout, we’ve been able to create a comprehensive and flexible solution, which has practical applications in various sectors. You can learn more  at www.tagscout.co.uk

Summary

In summary, Wirepas offers a comprehensive, efficient and highly scalable wireless  platform for large-scale IoT deployments. The Wirepas Mesh not only ensures reliable connectivity but also allows for the use of low-power battery technology, which in turns makes it easy to deploy and more cost-effective than any other RTLS technology.

As we all move further into the digital age, looking for incremental gains in operational efficiency to improve margins, differentiate our offer and and give us a competitive advantage, IoT solutions can play a key role. Wirepas offers a unique technology that can revolutionise your IoT deployments. Its mesh network is designed specifically for large-scale applications, providing seamless connectivity while being cost and energy-efficient. Whether your focus is manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, or any other industry where real-time data and tracking are crucial, Wirepas offers a solution that can help optimise your processes and improve efficiency.

We strongly encourage you to consider Wirepas for your own IoT deployments.

Are you facing location tracking and/or envirnmental monitoring challenges in your business? If so, we would love to help! Please contact us today, and let's discuss how we can address your specific needs. We're here to assist and we love a challenge!

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