Indoor Positioning
The indoor positioning market reached $6.92 billion in 2017, and is estimated to grow to $23.6 billion by 2023 at a CAGR of 27.9% (according to the MarketsandMarkets research). A rise in smartphone penetration and a huge amount of time people spent indoors (nearly 80-90% of all our time!) were the two most significant drivers of indoor positioning sector development, contributing to the increasing demand for indoor navigation technologies in retail, manufacturing, healthcare and other spheres.
The most powerful players in this market are Google, Cisco, and HERE, which provide so-called box solutions. However, a lot of customers are constantly looking for more efficient and personalized products, which opens an opportunity for small technology startups to break into the market and perform sophisticated used cases. So, how will indoor positioning transform industries in the next few years?
Used Cases
RETAIL – a mix of online and offline shopping experiences.
The advanced navigation system and smart notifications about special offers and store-specific information save customers more time and money, as well as provide a personalized shopping experience. As a result, this solution enhances both retailer’s revenue and market share, increases the average bill by 6%, and encourages brand awareness and efficiency of marketing and promotion campaigns. The next possible step is the automation of payments.
MANUFACTURING – a digital twin.
Managers would like to know exactly what is going on in their factory in each period of time. It particularly concerns all moving objects, including people, vehicles, or components. And a digital twin serves these purposes the best. Such twin is usually based on big data collected from a production space including such nuances as vibration frequency and sound level, which serves these purposes the best.
Healthcare – big size, huge problems.
Navigation within a hospital could be tiring and confusing both for staff and patients. Indoor-positioning technology provides a person with an individual guide and identifies the most appropriate route. Moreover, BLE technology cuts waiting time and therefore ensures a better experience and higher confidence in the healthcare provider.
Gadgets – live not by smartphone alone.
Although smartphones were the only providers of positioning just a few years ago, nowadays a wide range of wearable gadgets (such as smart helmets, trackers, wristlets, etc.) support this technology too. Today gadgets are so popular and widespread that producers of these devices are constantly looking for new features and functions. And navigation is the most obvious technology for implementation. I believe that we will all see functional devices with positioning features already this year.
Logistics – a question of business efficiency.
RFID and scanners are the most widespread tools for people’s positioning. These small-radius technologies register an object’s location while it passes by. However, RFID fails in the reconstruction of the whole trajectory. Bluetooth is the more appropriate and more advanced technology, able to identify not only people’s but also things’ and vehicles’ tracks in real-time. And logistics companies commence to adjust and implement this technology.
Power industry – technology for safety.
Not only malls, hospitals, and manufacturing factories could benefit from indoor positioning. Energy companies usually control a lot of remote objects such as small and big electricity stations. MOESC power company worked with Spaceteam Navigine to develop an advanced navigation system that monitors service workers through an electricity station.
The business spent some years testing and evaluating the advantages of indoor positioning technologies, and right now the majority of companies from various industries have embraced the idea and value of indoor navigation. This year businesses will look for solutions to facilitate and reduce the cost of indoor positioning systems implementation. The most significant obstacle to scaling this technology required hardware installation. A navigation system today is a clever mix of software and hardware (BLE-beacon installed and special gadgets, like smartphones, wristlets, tablets, or helmets). We all believe that new Bluetooth 5 technology and new LTE features will push a revolution in the indoor positioning market.
ctto: https://navigine.com/blog/how-indoor-positioning-is-helping-transform-industries-in-2019/
