The advances in IoT and LoRa® technology are delivering immense benefits when it comes to improving safety for individuals going out in the field, whether for work- or leisure-based activities.
When looking at event-driven LoRa® solutions, IoT monitoring devices can connect to LoRa® gateways and deliver data on vital aspects such as location and movement. This connection can be provided via a backhauling solution using mobile satellite services (MSS).
Below, we explore event-driven LoRa® use cases where MSS adds value, then share how one of our partner solutions can provide the safety needed for individuals who are temporarily in remote or isolated locations.
What is needed from event-driven LoRa® solutions?
Event-driven LoRa® refers to cases where connectivity is required for temporary uses, usually over a specific or limited area. Organisations that require this connectivity often seek to monitor individuals going out into locations where traditional coverage is unavailable and thus need to ensure their safety via an alternative solution.
With individuals’ safety potentially at risk, the IoT monitoring device needs to be able to send data in real time via a connectivity solution that is resilient to harsh weather or hazardous conditions.
However, cost is also a key concern due to the temporary nature of these events. Therefore, more permanent or complex infrastructures are not an option. Convenience is also crucial. Terminals providing the coverage must be quick and easy to deploy.
The wearable IoT-tracking devices need to provide data on the individual’s location and motion; heartbeat information is also valuable. Furthermore, for individuals using these wearable IoT-tracking devices, they must be:
- Comfortable and lightweight to wear
- Not obstructive to the task at hand
- Waterproof and hard-wearing
- Able to signal for help when needed
How MSS adds value to event-driven LoRa®
When IoT wearable devices connect to battery-powered, portable LoRa® gateways, MSS can provide an option for backhauling the data to the organisation’s control centre.
One easy-to-deploy, cost-efficient MSS terminal can be deployed alongside a LoRa® gateway to provide coverage for the designated area in which the individual(s) are operating in an area from 1-5km. Harnessing S-band satellite services, the coverage is reliable in isolated areas and resilient to harsh weather conditions. The data is provided in real-time, minimising the risk of the individuals in the field.
Once the event is over, the MSS terminal and Lora® gateway are packed into a single PeliCase and transported on to the next event. In this way, events can be supported in a uniform way across the coverage area, quickly and simply, with zero need for terrestrial communications.
This simplicity of a single terminal providing a backhauling option for transferring data is, therefore, an excellent solution for temporary events.
Event-driven LoRa® use cases
There are many instances where temporary events can benefit from MSS supporting their IoT, LoRa®-enabled solutions. Here are three examples:
Adventure sports
In recent years, there has been a growing popularity in more extreme adventure sports, for example, long-distance running, mountain biking or triathlons events, all of which often take place in remote areas and over arduous terrain.
With individuals pushing their bodies to the limit and often facing challenging environments, sometimes at night, the risk is high. Although these individuals accept the risks they are taking, the organisations still need to put certain safety measures in place, and tracking their competitors using wearable devices is one of them.
These events are temporary, often occurring over just one or a few days. Therefore, it is ideal to use MSS as a backhauling option alongside a LoRa® gateway for delivering the participants’ data in real time. Participants will be moving in a limited, designated area, so their tracking devices can easily connect to a single terminal. Furthermore, the resilience and reliability provided by satellite coverage are highly valuable for the environments in which the competitors compete.
Lone worker safety
There are many industries where employees must go out in the field to work on the company’s assets or infrastructure. For example, it could be pipelines or utility workers repairing a fault, railway employees removing obstructions from a line or farmers out in the field harvesting crops. In these circumstances, lone workers are often in isolated areas, so taking care of their safety is paramount.
As with adventure sports, the connectivity requirements are usually temporary, in a limited area and require resilient coverage to provide connectivity in challenging conditions. Therefore, MSS can solve these challenges and offer a simple, lightweight and highly portable solution when packaged alongside a LoRa® gateway.
Emergency response
When teams need to respond to a natural or human-induced disaster, traditional connectivity is often down. Yet, sending and receiving data on the event and monitoring the safety of those working in the field is critical.
Emergency response incidences are another use case where the simple deployment of an MSS terminal is beneficial. With easy-to-deploy terminals, connections can be quickly established in the designated area. The IoT devices can then connect to the battery-powered, portable LoRa® gateway and send information via satellite coverage.
A wearable IoT solution
WearLOC-2 by ProEsys is an example of one of our partner solutions that offers real-time tracking for people in remote locations where other communication systems are limited. This wearable device is designed to monitor the safety and security of individuals who are out in the field.
The device is entirely waterproof and can be worn on a wrist strap or hanging clip, or attached to metallic surfaces via a magnetic holder. With an accelerometer, compass, and temperature and atmospheric pressure monitoring, it detects and sends data on motion, location and heartbeat. A ManDown detection function also alerts the control team of issues surrounding the individual’s health and safety.
WearLOC-2 connects to a battery-powered, portable LoRa® gateway and relays real-time information via our S-band satellite coverage to the control centre. Using our MSS Hughes terminals, deployment is easy, agile and cost-effective.
MSS offers excellent value when a simple, cost-effective, temporary connectivity service is needed for event-driven LoRa® solutions. Where people are working, volunteering or competing in remote areas, it is a solution that can help take care of their safety while being affordable for the organisation that requires it.
To learn more about how EchoStar Mobile’s mobile satellite services can provide the connectivity needed for your event-driven LoRa® requirements, please get in touch with our team.