Industrial RTLS (Real-Time Location Systems): underlying technologies, offerings, and benefits. How they drive supply chain automation in manufacturing and logistics.
Tracking mobile and stationary assets such as manufactured goods, transport vehicles, machines, tools or containers is a key prerequisite for the automation and optimization of logistics and production processes in Industry 4.0. To reliably orchestrate complex operations in these industrial environments, the location and status of involved objects must be continuously tracked. Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS) consisting of sensors, receivers, network and control systems provide the technical infrastructure for automated, continuous monitoring.
RTLS, meaning Real-Time Location System and sometimes also referred to as RTLS systems, is a key technology for the automated localization and tracking of objects in real time, usually within a specific business area, e.g. industrial production or warehouse. Combining wireless communication, localization algorithms and centralized monitoring, RTLS system provides accurate real-time data on the positions of tagged objects, enabling businesses to effectively track and manage their assets and processes. This makes real-time locations services a key prerequisite for industrial process and supply chain optimization and automation.
A RTLS system typically uses radio frequency signals such as BLE, GPS, RFID, UWB or WiFi technology to locate assets in a defined area. Each asset to be tracked is equipped with a sensor that emits radio signals. These signals are collected by a series of receivers located throughout the monitoring area. The receivers triangulate incoming signals to determine the exact location of each object using localization algorithms. Depending on business requirements, the position of each tagged object can be precisely calculated.
Various technologies are available to enable effective communication between hardware and software components in industrial RTLS tracking systems, depending on the specific requirements. Whether a technology is suitable for a particular application essentially depends on whether objects need to be tracked continuously or just from time to time, whether this process needs to be automated and how accurate the localisation needs to be.
Common RTLS tracking systems and technologies in a nutshell
With the growing demand for more accurate, comprehensive and immediate data, businesses are adopting real-time positioning systems to complement or replace their RFID solutions. UWB is recognised as the most accurate, reliable and dynamic RTLS technology and is therefore the gold standard for ultra-precise RTLS. The following comparison highlights the differences between RFID and UWB RTLS.
Real-time location systems using RFID have been a key technology for wireless object identification in manufacturing and logistics for decades. With an increasing number of industrial assets and people moving through factories and warehouses, UWB-based real-time localization has become a more powerful alternative to RFID-based RTLS. The main difference between (passive) RFID and UWB RTLS is in the localization data they generate: while RFID provides selective point-to-point data, UWB is designed to deliver continuous, seamless real-time data across a defined space.
Key benefits of UWB RTLS technology:
UWB combines short light-speed pulses and accurately measures signal arrival time over a wide bandwidth for high-precision transmitter positioning, reaching distances of up to 200 meters in line-of-sight. There are various methods available to achieve this, which differ in their accuracy, energy consumption and suitability in fast environments with a large number of assets to be tracked. The most common methods are presented here.
Two-Way Ranging (TWR): Using TWR the highest precision and position stability can be reached. This method is preferred for localization of people and tools. It is furthermore the go to method for navigation of driverless automatic guided vehicles (AGV).
Time Difference of Arrival (TDoA): Localization using TDoA is characterized by the lowest power consumption compared to the other methods. In an industrial environment TDoA is primarily used with larger numbers of objects.
Angle of Arrival (AoA): Calculating the position based on the angle of arrival, the direction of the signal relative to the anchor and the signal strength allows greater precision with minimum infrastructure.
Phase Difference of Arrival (PDoA): Determining the sensor position based on the phase difference between the received signals at both anchor antennas and the angle of the signal relative to the anchor allows the RTLS to be implemented in restricted infrastructures.
Modern real-time positioning systems combine multiple localization technologies to deliver high-precision tracking in industrial environments. KINEXON RTLS uses TWR (Two-Way Ranging) and TDoA (Time Difference of Arrival) to provide maximum accuracy while maintaining energy-efficient operation.
The hardware components of an industrial RTLS include tags and anchors - mobile devices attached to assets to be tracked that transmit signals and static ones that receive these signals, determine real-time positioning of assets and forward them for processing.
RTLS Tags: Mobile sensors that are attached to the objects to be tracked. Tags emit signals received by the so-called anchors. There are different types of tags, including active tags with their own power source, e.g. a battery, that can transmit signals over long distances, and passive tags, relying on an external power source, e.g. a reader. There are also tags with and without a user interface, e.g. a small screen to display the current asset status.
RTLS Anchors: Stationary receivers that are placed across the industrial environment to receive signals from the installed tags. These anchors collect data on the arrival time, strength and angle of the signal and then transmit this information to the RTLS software for centralized processing and control. RTLS anchors usually have their own power supply, e.g. through integration into a Power-over-Ethernet (POE) infrastructure or regular power grid.
Learn about the KINEXON RTLS Hardware
While hardware, anchors and tags, is an essential component of RTLS systems, any smart solution requires powerful software to unlock the true value of location-based process automation - regardless of the technology used to generate real-time location data. A sophisticated RTLS software platform integrates tracking technologies and location data, enabling operators and decision makers alike to automate operations and gain actionable insights from location data.
Coordinator: Software that runs on a server or on a Virtual Machine (VM) to which the anchors are connected. The coordinator controls the synchronization of anchors and tags and processes the anchor data to create position data in real time.
Control Center: User interface for the RTLS, which in modern systems is a web-based application. All relevant information, such as the current system status, the available devices or the current system settings, is displayed in the Control Center.
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The terms Indoor Positioning System (IPS) and Real-Time Locating System (RTLS) are often used synonymously. In fact, both refer to systems that are designed for tracking and monitoring moving or stationary objects in industrial environments. In addition, both are mostly used for indoor production and intralogistics applications.
At a technical level, IPS and RTLS differ in one key feature:
Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS) are taking supply chain processes to the next level by providing businesses with high-level supply chain visibility and control over systems and processes, unlocking a great potential for automation. From industrial asset and production order tracking to assembly line control, RTLS enables businesses to increase efficiency, productivity and safety while reducing operating costs. As industries continue their digital transformation, the adoption of RTLS will undoubtedly play a crucial role in a company’s future success.
With advanced RTLS technology, you can seamlessly track people, assets, and equipment across both indoor and outdoor environments. Whether it’s navigating complex warehouse layouts, monitoring vehicles in real time on a sprawling campus, or ensuring safety across multiple sites, RTLS provides precise location data wherever it’s needed. Beyond real-time tracking, RTLS enables a wide range of use cases:
Automated order tracking and process management helps optimize industrial operations and reduce costs. Companies achieve maximum order transparency and track production orders in real time. Accurate insights into physical manufacturing processes allow for effective quality control and automatic material replenishment.
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The level of automation can be further increased by combining AMR/AGV control with real-time location systems. With KINEXON OS software platform and KINEXON IIoT devices, companies connect and manage resources beyond mobile robots. By combining both solutions, further manual effort is eliminated and operational efficiency is increased.
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Industrial Asset Tracking enables businesses to efficiently manage materials, tools or semi-finished goods. Movable assets are digitized to easily track their location and improve transparency for employees. Automated flows of tagged assets can be managed more efficiently to identify and reduce bottlenecks.
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Using RTLS, businesses reach the next level of flexible and efficient assembly automation. By tracking the location of vehicles and tools in real time, manual assembly processes can be automated and production managers enabled to intervene immediately in emergencies.
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With RTLS technology, you can go far beyond simple tracking – it unlocks a wide range of possibilities to optimize operations, protect people, and gain valuable insights. By knowing the precise location of assets, equipment, and staff in real time, organizations can make faster, safer, and smarter decisions. Some powerful use cases include:
When an RTLS is connected to the digital world—including MES, ERP, and WMS systems—it can create end-to-end supply chain visibility, providing a complete picture of operations from production to delivery. This integration allows businesses to anticipate issues, streamline workflows, and make fully informed decisions at every stage of the supply chain.
RTLS empowers your business to create a safer, more efficient, and data-driven environment while bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds.
The KINEXON Real-Time Locating System is designed for fast update rates and maximum positioning accuracy. Thanks to the versatile portfolio of sensors (tags), the KINEXON RTLS Pro is able to cover a wide range of application scenarios, including order tracking & process control, asset tracking and automated assembly line production.
The KINEXON RTLS Pro system provides businesses with all the hardware and software components they need to efficiently automate their industrial processes. The latest UWB technology ensures maximum performance and reliability. In addition, the system is highly scalable and can be easily expanded by adding further anchors as required.
Learn more about the KINEXON RTLS Pro
The KINEXON OS software platform collects and processes location data in real time to respond flexibly to manufacturing and logistics operations and enable intelligent decisions for key processes. The platform is highly flexible, scalable and allows businesses to aggregate location and identification data from various sources and complements contextual information from third-party IT/OT systems such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), MES (Manufacturing Execution System) and WMS (Warehouse Management System).
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