Robust – Long battery life – Easy to use

Bluetooth beacon tracking for small devices

Location detection with beacons

Transfer the last location of small appliances/tools with GPS positioning

Inventory tracking with beacons

Which vehicle transports which small appliance

Possible applications for Bluetooth beacons

There are numerous use cases for Bluetooth beacon tracking in the construction industry and trade:

  • Localization of small devices (“where is the machine?”) that are not suitable for GPS localization: small construction machines, tools, expensive small devices, expensive excavator attachments, breaker hammers, excavator shovels, expensive transport pallets, skips…
  • Controlling and monitoring of machines and equipment issued: who took which equipment from the building yard to which construction sites and when?
  • Documentation of use (“was it used?”): construction companies can draw conclusions about the use time of small appliances or tools based on the use time on different construction sites
  • Protection against loss and theft of expensive devices (“when was the last time the device reported in?”): if expensive devices are no longer received, an alarm can be triggered.

Advantages of Bluetooth beacons

There are numerous use cases for Bluetooth beacon tracking in the construction industry and in the skilled trades

  • Very small, waterproof, temperature-resistant
  • Simple wireless installation by gluing or screwing, no time-consuming wiring
  • Works maintenance-free outdoors, no expensive superstructures
  • Cheaper than conventional sensors (proximity, temperature, …), which would be expensive to install with cabling
  • Long battery life, no external power supply required

Which Bluetooth Beacon models are available?

Beacons are available from different manufacturers and in different sizes.
The beacons differ in terms of the additional signals. In addition to identification, there are beacons with temperature detection, motion detection and magnet detection.

Power generators and small appliances

Bluetooth beacons can be used to determine whether power generators are still on the construction site or which company vehicle was used to transport the power generator away and when.

Track skips and containers digitally with Bluetooth

Bluetooth trackers can be used to determine on which construction site the skip was left. The duration on the construction site, the collection and transportation of the skip are recorded as soon as the truck with the tracking device collects the skip or container from the construction site. The scheduling department is informed via the software which skips have already been collected or where the skips were last placed.

Monitor the last location of small appliances with beacons

The current position of the Bluetooth beacon can be “located” using the GPS position of the GPS tracking device in the vicinity of the beacon: is the tool on the construction machine, or is it still in the vehicle on the road or at the building yard?

Operating times on the construction site

Bluetooth trackers can be used to determine on which construction site the skip was left. The duration on the construction site, the collection and transportation of the skip are recorded as soon as the truck with the tracking device collects the skip or container from the construction site. The scheduling department is informed via the software which skips have already been collected or where the skips were last placed.

Frequently asked questions about Bluetooth beacons (FAQs)

The battery life of a Bluetooth beacon depends heavily on the beacon manufacturer and its experience in the design of the beacon and the beacon firmware used.  Other decisive factors are of course “hard facts” such as battery capacity, transmission power and the frequency at which the Bluetooth signal is transmitted. There is no 100% exact answer, but in general we are talking about 2 to 5 years.

The ambient temperature also plays an important role, as the temperature differences in use (both hot and cold) affect the battery life, so you should not trust overly optimistic data sheet specifications 100%.

Most beacons must be disposed of when the beacon is no longer transmitting.

Beacons have a relatively short range, which can be between 10 and 100 meters. The range depends on the beacon model used, the adjustable beacon configuration and the environment, e.g. factors such as walls, lots of metal, obstacles. Beacons can be configured for maximum Bluetooth transmission power, but a beacon with high transmission power has a higher power consumption.

Bluetooth beacons themselves do not have active GPS positioning because this is too energy-intensive. Beacons are generally limited to transmitting their own signal ID to a nearby GPS device. The GPS position of the beacon therefore depends on the GPS device that transmits the beacon ID.

A Bluetooth beacon is a relatively small transmitter that emits Bluetooth signals at regular intervals. Beacons do not receive any data, but only send data that is necessary to identify the beacon and determine its location. When a telematics device comes into the vicinity of the beacon as a receiver, the tracking device registers contact with the beacon and can send the beacon’s unique identifier to the GPS Fleet software.

Bluetooth Low Energy – Bluetooth LE (BLE for short) – is a wireless technology known from smartphones that allows devices in the immediate vicinity to be networked. Compared to conventional Bluetooth, BLE is more energy-efficient. The prevailing standard is part of Bluetooth 4.0, the latest standard is Bluetooth 5.0

Bluetooth Low Energy beacons – known as BLE beacons or Bluetooth trackers for short – are small radio transmitters that send out a unique identifier that can be received by compatible GPS tracking devices that support Bluetooth Low Energy. The range of the beacons depends on the settings; greater range requires more transmission power and reduces battery life.

What is the difference between Bluetooth tracking and GPS tracking?

Bluetooth tracking

Limited range: Bluetooth beacons, or Bluetooth trackers, are usually small and inconspicuous, which means that the transmission power can be limited to 10 to 30 meters depending on the model. If the Bluetooth beacon is not in the direct vicinity of a transmitting device (GPS tracking device or Bluetooth hub) with activated Bluetooth function, the Bluetooth beacon cannot be found directly.

Determining the position: the position of the Bluetooth beacon is determined via the position of the transmitting GPS tracking device. The beacon itself does not transmit any position data and is located indirectly.

Indoor tracking: by using the fixed positioning of Bluetooth hubs or beacons and the signal strength, a Bluetooth beacon can enable localization in large building complexes. In a similar way, it is possible to determine the number and location of workers or vehicles monitored by Bluetooth beacons in a mining mine or industrial plant in order to react quickly in dangerous situations.

Service life: Bluetooth is designed for long-term operation with low energy requirements. This means that Bluetooth beacons can emit a signal every 3-10 seconds for around 2-5 years (longer is possible according to the manufacturer).

GPS Tracking

Wide range: GPS trackers have SIM cards that transmit the current position. In principle, the transmission works wherever a mobile network is available.

Independent positioning: A GPS tracker can independently determine its position to within a few meters via the global GPS satellite system. Due to the higher energy consumption required for GPS positioning, internal batteries are more heavily used than with Bluetooth trackers.

No GPS signal: The signal for GPS positioning is only too weak in garages, buildings, tunnels or due to installation under metal, so that it cannot always be transmitted.

Accessibility: GPS devices can usually be changed remotely via the built-in SIM card (over-the-air), which means that the software on the tracking device can be updated. In the case of Bluetooth beacons, the changeover via tools is usually only possible on site.

Security: GPS tracking devices with SIM cards send the data to the central software via mobile networks; the data is transmitted via proprietary protocols and the mobile network. It takes considerable effort to obtain this data. In principle, the signals from Bluetooth beacons can be received by anyone with a smartphone and the right app.