- Detects Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled devices, then transmits the data to an industrial-grade LoRaWAN gateway to any business-application server
- Can be implemented in end-to-end solutions for retail shops to analyse visitor activities
Kerlink, an Internet of Things (IoT) solutions provider, has launched a real-time, indoor asset-tracking-and-counting system called the Wanesy Wave that can detect and locate Wi-Fi devices (like smartphones), using their probe request (when the smartphone automatically requests a new Wi-Fi service to connect) and can also track Bluetooth-enabled devices or tags. Once detected, it then transmits the data using a LoRaWAN link to an industrial-grade LoRaWAN gateway, such as a Kerlink Wirnet iFemtoCell. The gateway then transfers the information to any business-application server via Kerlink’s Wanesy Management Center, which operates and manages the end-to-end LoRaWAN networks.
Widescale implementation
This system can be implemented in end-to-end solutions to enable retail shops, commercial malls or museums to count visitors, trace their movements and retrieve customer paths into stores and buildings, including the amount of time they spend in different areas, such as in front of product displays or masterpieces. Deployed across factories, warehouses and service buildings such as hospitals, the system also helps improve management-and-operation efficiency by inexpensively enabling real-time location of devices, by tracking the use of assets over a while or by getting an instant inventory of tools or equipment in a given area.
Wanesy Wave also powers social-contact-tracing information to help combat the spread of Covid-19.
Combination of wireless technologies
Combining Wi-Fi, BLE and LoRa for this tracking-and-tracing provide certain capabilities: a relevant accuracy in an extended indoor range, a combination of area detection and various types of targets (fixed or mobile assets, people) and of course, low energy consumption ensuring extended lifetime for battery-powered devices and tags.
“Wanesy Wave is the right set up for retail, industry, services and leisure verticals that want to quickly leverage a track-and-trace, industrial-grade solution to improve their operations,” said Kerlink Product Manager Guillaume Boisgontier. “Merchants and other small businesses can easily deploy this indoor and very low-energy tracking solution to better understand customer behaviour, measure the effectiveness of displays and marketing campaigns and manage inventory. Industrial sites and hospitals can quickly deploy a solution to geolocate and manage their critical assets to save time and reach a high level of efficiency. This product also underscores Kerlink’s expertise and continuing success at enabling innovative, essential IoT connectivity benefits for a variety of verticals and sectors and it definitely completes our portfolio of smart solutions.”
The technology complements Kerlink’s existing outdoor asset-tracking offer, Wanesy Geolocation, which allows asset locating and monitoring across large areas. That system is based on time-stamped signals from three or more LoRaWAN gateways.
