Microlocation

Microlocation is the determination of position within a small area, such as a building or room, with high precision. It complements outdoor geolocation methods like GPS by providing indoor or micro-area positioning, typically at the meter to decimeter level. It is used in retail, healthcare, logistics, and other fields.

Microlocation relies on a combination of signals and sensors. Technologies include Wi‑Fi or RFID fingerprinting, Bluetooth Low Energy beacons, ultra-wideband, magnetic-field mapping, inertial measurement units, and computer vision. Practical systems usually fuse multiple data sources and incorporate floor plans or maps to improve robustness.

Accuracy depends on technology and environment. UWB can achieve decimeter to centimeter accuracy in controlled spaces; RSSI-based Wi‑Fi/BLE methods are typically meter-level and require calibration. Time-based methods such as time of flight or time difference of arrival offer higher precision but need synchronized infrastructure.

Applications include indoor navigation in malls or airports, asset and personnel tracking in hospitals and factories, inventory management, and location-based services. Microlocation enables context-aware interactions, wayfinding, and operational improvements where GPS is unavailable or unreliable.

Challenges include signal multipath and variability, privacy concerns, energy use, device and infrastructure heterogeneity, and the cost of maintaining accurate maps and calibration data. Interoperability and standards development continue to shape deployment and cross-system compatibility.

It is an active field, with popular approaches including Bluetooth beacons and UWB systems; many solutions combine technologies to balance accuracy, cost, and coverage. See also Indoor positioning system.