Aruba has introduced the first self-locating access points which creates a foundation for accurate indoor location. The goal is to bring the ease and widespread adoption of outdoor GPS to indoor environments.

With Aruba’s self-locating indoor APs, enterprises and service providers will be able to deliver location-aware applications more quickly, accurately, and at scale. In the future, indoor location services will be applied in a variety of new ways to extract value.

Unlike today’s manual approaches, which use site surveys and local map coordinates, Aruba Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E APs automatically locate themselves, refine their measurements over time, self-heal when APs are moved or replaced, and serve as absolute reference points for accurate client location.

Here are the key benefits of Self-locating APs:

· Reduce IT burden by automating AP positioning thereby eliminating error-prone manual surveys and mapping.

· Leverage APs as a foundation for accurate indoor measurements to widely deploy new location-aware services and enhance existing applications.

· Scale indoor location across the organization using Open Locate to broadcast measurements over air to any mobile device.

· Create seamless user experiences across indoor and outdoor environments.

Wi-Fi 6E APs are self-locating with built-in GPS receivers and fine time measurement technology that act as absolute reference points and can anchor relative indoor locations. These APs are also referred to as the Aruba 6xx Series Campus Access Points.

Wi-Fi 6 APs have embedded fine time measurement technology to determine relative location and act as absolute reference points to determine client location. These APs are also referred to as the Aruba 5xx Series Campus Access Points.

Components Of Location Services

· Self-locating Aps: Using embedded GPS receivers, Aruba Wi-Fi 6E APs are able to self-locate and work with Wi-Fi 6 APs to establish reference points that can be used to accurately determine indoor client location.

· Intelligent software: Improves accuracy by refining multi-dimensional measurements over time and by constantly updating absolute reference points and relative distance to reflect changes. Includes management and orchestration of APs to allow location communication without impacting performance.

· Open Locate: Open Locate aims to standardize the way APs advertise their location over the air and through cloud-based APIs, enabling mobile devices to locate themselves and applications to support network analytics.

· Partner ecosystem: Major OS vendors and device manufacturers like Google, Zebra, Tile and Samsung are partnering with Aruba on Open Locate and leveraging Aruba for new and enhanced location services.

How The Self-Locating APs Work

Location-aware Wi-Fi 6/6E APs automatically determine relative indoor location using ranging techniques known as fine time measurement.

Wi-Fi 6E APs with built-in GPS anchor these relative locations using the universal coordinates of latitude and longitude.

Intelligent orchestration and management software continuously refine AP location measurements and self heal when APs are moved or replaced.

APs broadcast their location over the air to clients that support the Open Locate protocol and publish it over the cloud API.

Clients can use APs as reference points to determine their own location.

Aruba is collaborating with IEEE and Wi-Fi Alliance to leverage and extend the 802.11 fine time measurement (FTM) standard with Open Locate for expanding the methods for collecting, storing, and sharing indoor location information and to provide greater interoperability. Aruba self-locating access points can also be used as absolute reference points for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or UWB technologies to drive greater accuracy.

For more information, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVdFNR0R3EE