A Needle in a Haystack: How Wi-Fi RTT Takes Indoor Positioning to the Next Level

Hello! We are developers from the Navigine company. We decided to test the Wi-Fi RTT technology and share the results with you.

What is Wi-Fi RTT

Wi-Fi RTT (Round-trip time) is a brand new technology that allows locating devices with unprecedented sub-meter accuracy. Basically, it measures the distance between a device and Wi-Fi routers which is way more accurate than using a GPS signal. The latter can’t provide an acceptable level of accuracy at all when it comes to indoor positioning. Wi-Fi RTT outperforms RSSI-based methods as well, thanks to reduced latency and better accuracy.

The Use

Today, this technology is the next step to improve services that use indoor positioning. We expect that its implementation will become a better solution for many industries.

Wi-Fi RTT is applicable for tracking vehicles and cargo within warehouses and production plants. Comparing to BLE, this technology provides enhanced accuracy and reduced latency, making processes more rapid and reducing delays.

It is effective for public hotspots as well, such as offices and malls, airports, exhibitions and not only. Indoor navigation is the solution users need for making their visits to public places more comfortable and enjoyable. Through this, they can plan their time effectively and find locations they need immediately.

The Advantages

Our solution goes further with unique algorithms that enhance the basic capabilities of Wi-Fi RTT. Semi-static test in our office demonstrates a submeter accuracy in checkpoints 95% of the time and around 30 cm accuracy 50% of the time. The positioning engine is a particle filter combining Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR), based on inertial sensors readings, and Wi-Fi RTT readings for correction. Meanwhile, the dynamic test shows that delay in position estimation does not exceed one second. The latter result is achieved by complementing Wi-Fi RTT measurements with PDR via particle filter.

The technology is not just an innovation in itself, but also a practical solution that improves business efficiency and customer experience. Wi-Fi RTT provides longer distance measurements and can be integrated into existing Wi-Fi network infrastructure.

Current status

Now, it is too early to refer to any cases, while we are currently working on raising experts interest from LinkedIn. We can see the real need for this technology, so the first implementations are coming soon in Q1 2020.

Today, we have confirmed orders from a big carrier and one logistics company.

Why Wi-Fi RTT?

The industries using indoor positioning have to realize that often BLE is not the solution that meets their needs. Wi-Fi RTT is a significantly more relevant technology for many cases.

Our solution based on Wi-Fi RTT delivers clear advantages for customers, including high accuracy, low latency, ease of use and integration. With just 2 weeks between order and integration, it is one of the most rapid and flexible solutions.

The combination of high accuracy, availability, and low price, can make the technology an Indoor positioning market leader.