1.Advantage
Low power consumption
Relatively cheap equipment
Accurate to several meters
Live Update
Extensive standardization
Cross-functionality with common consumer devices; bring-your-own-device (BYOD) capabilities
2.Shortcoming
lurking
Devices in shared spectrum present interference risk
Requires high density of emitters
Inaccurate in reflective or highly active environments such as factories or refineries
Security vulnerability
Bluetooth is one of the most commonly used technologies for indoor positioning applications such as asset tracking. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) has been around for a decade, and its low power consumption gives it an advantage over other older solutions like WiFi and GPS.
BLE systems typically establish their own wireless network through a combination of Beacon and Hub devices. Many BLE solutions can integrate with Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices (such as smartphones), which helps simplify implementation.
The ability to use consumer mobile devices as roaming hubs makes BLE a particularly common technology for location and tracking applications. Indoor environments such as shopping malls and hospitals also use BLE extensively to collect location data.
Like UWB, BLE systems typically do not require any manual scanning or searching. Most BLE system architectures use Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) to determine the closest asset location when an object is moving. BLE can also calculate position data using direction finding methods such as angle of arrival (AoA) and angle of departure (AoD).
Latency is a significant drawback of BLE. Since so many devices are already competing for space in the same part of the radio spectrum as BLE, signal interference is also a common risk. This can result in loss of coverage, loss of data points, and overall slowdown of the BLE system.
Beacon systems such as BLE typically require a large number of networked devices. These devices are affordable, but when more equipment is needed, the cost can be prohibitive, even before installation and maintenance costs.
BLE devices face operational limitations in certain environments. For example, BLE solutions don’t work particularly well around metal or reflective surfaces. Some systems offer workarounds for this, such as additional WiFi-connected devices, but this can lead to other problems, such as increased network latency and interference, both of which can limit scalability. Active environments with many moving parts are also a challenge for technologies like BLE, as RSSI methods can be defeated by temporary obstacles in and out of the environment.
Finally, the widespread adoption of Bluetooth devices has exposed many security risks and authentication vulnerabilities. By connecting phones, keys, headphones, printers, and countless other items via Bluetooth, the amount of data that is susceptible to transmission is much higher than some technologies specifically designed for location and asset tracking.
