Real-time Location Systems Market worth $15.79 billion by 2029

The global real-time location system market size is estimated to be USD 6.03 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 15.79 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 21.2% during the forecast period according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The demand for real-time tracking and visibility of assets and people across various industries has led to significant growth in the real-time location system market. The increasing need for safety and security in healthcare, education, oil & gas, and manufacturing industries also contributes to this growth. While real-time location system (RTLS) solutions may be more expensive than traditional tracking technologies, the emergence of innovative startups and customized solutions has increased market competitiveness.

RTLS solutions rely on a network of hardware to track the location of objects and people indoors, and the core components typically include readers, tags (or trackers), and, sometimes, access points. Readers are stationary devices placed throughout the monitored area that use radio waves or other signals to detect and receive data from RTLS tags, acting as the pillars of the system by capturing signals from tags, calculating their positions, and transmitting this data to the RTLS software for processing. Trackers, which are small, battery-powered devices attached to assets or people, carry identification information and potentially additional sensor data, with the RTLS system relying on their signals to pinpoint locations. Access points, optional in some RTLS deployments, act as relays that collect data from readers and forward it to the central RTLS software, improving data transmission efficiency and providing additional functionalities such as network management in expansive or complex layouts. These components are crucial for RTLS as they provide continuous location updates for real-time tracking, improve efficiency by optimizing workflows and automating tasks, and enhance safety by monitoring personnel in hazardous areas or tracking valuable equipment for security.

RFID is one of the most popular wireless standards used in RTLS. It detects electromagnetic fields transmitted by small electronic tags attached to objects. There are two main types of RFID technology-based tags—passive RFID tags, which have no battery, and active RFID tags, which have a battery. The main application of RFID technology is to detect or identify an object—the Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) number, the serial number, the number of items in a box, and more. Some typical RFID applications use readers mounted in fixed locations to detect tags as they move within the detection or scan range of a reader, and mobile handheld readers/scanners are also used to read RFID tags. The key advantage of RFID technology, which differentiates it from other wireless technologies, is the ability of RF signals to penetrate through walls and floors. RFID technology-based RTLS solutions also require significantly smaller and simpler space/infrastructure compared to Wi-Fi, UWB, IR, and ultrasonic technology-based systems.