Peyman Moeini | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

3D Protraction Technique for Anchor-Free, Range-Free Wireless Localization in Industrial Warehouses via Multi-Level Binary Reachability

Three-dimensional (3D) localization is difficult in industrial facilities because fixed-node placement is constrained by hardware, power, networking, installation, and maintenance costs. This paper presents the 3D Protraction Technique (3D-PT), an anchor-free, range-free method that converts reciprocal packet detections at ordered transmit-power levels into reliability-weighted ordinal distance relations. It estimates a relative 3D configuration without Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) magnitudes, estimated ranges, surveyed anchors, or prior coordinates. In a simulated multi-height warehouse, four transmit-power levels reduce mean network-diameter-normalized RMSE by 16.0\% relative to MDS-MAP(P) in both small- and medium-network regimes, and by 23.9\% and 34.0\% relative to CATL-reproduction, respectively. Accuracy largely saturates beyond four power levels. The results show that multi-level binary reachability provides useful geometric information beyond a single maximum-power connectivity graph.

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arXiv2025

Cost and Complexity as Barriers to RTLS Adoption in SMEs: A Survey and Analysis

Real-time location systems (RTLSs) are central to Industry 4.0 and emerging Industry 5.0, providing the spatiotemporal data required for asset tracking, workflow optimization, safety, and integration with WMS, MES, and digital twins. While large enterprises increasingly deploy RTLSs, adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remains limited. This paper examines whether cost and installation complexity are primary barriers to SME adoption. We position RTLSs within the broader Industry 4.0 and Logistics 4.0 landscape and summarize their operational value. We then synthesize evidence from the literature on technical, financial, and organizational constraints, with emphasis on infrastructure requirements, calibration effort, integration with legacy systems, and human factors. To complement this analysis, we report results from an online survey of sixteen manufacturing and technology professionals in Canada and the United States. Respondents report strong perceived value for real-time tracking but identify upfront cost, installation effort, integration difficulty, and reliance on multiple anchor nodes as dominant obstacles. Most indicate acceptable upfront investments below $10,000 and express a clear preference for low-infrastructure deployments with minimized anchor counts. Building on these findings, we outline design directions for SME-focused RTLSs, including wireless and modular architectures, cloud-managed and self-calibrating systems, standardized integration interfaces, and anchor-minimizing or anchor-free localization methods. Overall, the results show that limited SME adoption stems less from insufficient perceived value than from misalignment between current RTLS deployment models and SME resource constraints.

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