The demand for Bluetooth technology keeps growing, with the rise in popularity of location-based services. Over the next three years, the technology is expected to be in 400 million RTLS devices. This may even increase with the major update to the technology through a direction-finding feature. Yes, with Bluetooth 5.1 (announced in January 2019), the technology will also be capable of informing users of the direction in which a device is moving.
What’s so special about Bluetooth’s New Direction Finding Feature?
The company say that the new feature significantly improves the accuracy of Bluetooth location services to offer better asset tracking. Some areas of application where the new technology is beneficial are:
Indoor Wayfinding:
The new feature can be used by users to get more accurate information at specific points of interest. Let’s say a person is at a museum and wants to read up on the history of the art work around him. Instead of scrolling through all the works, he or she will be able to point their phone at it and receive relevant information.
Real-Time Locating Systems:
At a factory, assets are often out of place. This can lead to inefficiencies. While Bluetooth is already helping with real-time location of assets, the direction-finding feature will bring greater precision and also alert workers if they go into unsafe areas on the floor.
Indoor Positioning Systems:
Hospitals, shopping malls, or airports could also use this feature to improve user ability to find they’re way. The system will improve the navigation experience.
Item Finding Solutions:
As the feature will allow devices to provide directional information, a user will not only know how far a device is, but will also be able to pinpoint its direction. This makes it very easy to find lost items such as keys, wallets, and other valuable items.
The new direction finding feature will help Bluetooth better solve the problems of the logistic industry and industry that relies on location tracking. Using the system, companies and individuals can enable more scalable, flexible, and futureproof deployments of goods and services to accelerate productivity and better improve performance.