Integration with the Collos collaborative location service from Semtech enables geolocation via TDOA and RSSI, with the option of WiFi augmented TDOA for WLAN enabled nodes.

Initiator of The Things Network, Wienke Giezeman, this morning announced that geolocation over LoRa is now available on The Things Network. This comes courtesy of a new integration that is available with immediate effect via The Things Network Console, which allows applications to be configured for use with the new Collos multi-protocol collaborative location service from Semtech.

Currently in private preview, limited early access is being provided at this stage and developers can apply for a login via a web form. Documentation for setting up the integration is already available and it appears that this should be simple enough once you have access to the service and a key for use with your application.

Presumably a minimum of 3 or 4 gateways will be required for localisation via LoRaWAN, with these each also requiring to be equipped with GPS or a similar high accuracy time source if using the time difference of arrival (TDOA) method.

Example use cases include shipment, pet and livestock tracking. Using LoRaWAN, an accuracy of 2km is quoted for tracking of shipments on the road, with “house & street” level accuracy for a pet in an urban environment and using WiFi fix + LoRaWAN. With livestock 100m accuracy is quoted for LoRaWAN-only in a field/grazing environment.