Do GPS tracking devices work indoors?
And if they don’t, does it matter?
Every day, vast amounts of cargo are transported around the world by land, sea and air.
Keeping track of shipments as they make their way around the globe is often achieved by use of GPS-enabled tracking devices.
Knowing the exact location of a highly valuable consignment of prescription drugs, for example, would surely make any logistics professional sleep better at night.
A tracking device can be fitted to almost anything, in an open or a covert way.
While there are many, many available options and variations on a theme, there are essentially two types of trackers – passive and active.
Passive trackers use GPS location information to record their position (and possibly environmental data such as temperature and humidity) as it makes its journey.
The data is logged within the tracking unit itself and is stored in internal memory or on a memory card and can be downloaded at a later date for analysis on a computer.
Active trackers provide real-time location and environmental information to a central tracking portal. This data can be viewed by the owner of the cargo and/or the tracking company employed to carry out the monitoring on behalf of its clients.
When the shipment is delayed, for example by stormy weather at sea or by leaves on the railway line, the tracking data can be used to update clients with an accurate timeline.
So this isn’t exactly breaking news to those who have been in the asset tracking industry for some time. I suspect most of us have received a parcel from a delivery courier firm that provides a link to a portal so that you can see the delivery vehicle making its way to your location.
So here’s the question I have in mind: how does a GPS tracking device determine its position when it is under cover?
For example when it’s inside
- A warehouse
- The hold of a ship
- A transport depot
- A train station
- An aircraft hangar
The issue is the same for all indoor locations where a container may spend a period of time during its journey.
If there is no sky view the GPS signal can’t penetrate to the interior of the building.
Not necessarily …..
When the GPS tracking device loses sight of the sky due to the blocking effect of the building structure, it will continue to report its location periodically as it was just before it entered the building.
Not only would the tracking device be reporting stale, out-of-date location data, there may be a long acquisition delay (possibly several minutes) upon exit as the GPS receiver regains a positional fix.
Using a GPS repeater to maintain sky view while indoors
A GPS repeater relays live GPS signal from the outside of the building to the inside.
This ensures that sky view is available at all times, and the GPS tracker will always be reporting accurate location information to the tracking portal.
An antenna is placed on the roof and a coaxial feeder cable transports the signal to an indoor GPS repeater unit.
The repeater re-radiates the signal inside the facility, providing live sky view to all GPS receivers in the vicinity.
Yes, a GPS tracking system can work indoors, providing end-to-end visibility of cargo
It’s reasonably easy to solve a potentially serious issue.
A GPS repeater kit comes with all you need to provide signal in any indoor space.
We can also create a custom-designed system if the requirement is larger or more complex than a kit can handle; just let us know what you need and we’ll happily work with you to ensure you get the right solution.
If you would like to discuss this or any other aspect of providing GPS signal indoors, please do get in touch.
Within the UK call 01326 336444
From outside the UK call +44 1326 336444
Phil Whitting
FalTech GPS