Improve Indoor Tracking Accuracy with the Digital Matter Wi-Fi Beacon and Private Lookups

Accurate indoor asset tracking remains a challenge in environments with coverage gaps or limited Wi-Fi infrastructure. In some facilities, there simply aren’t enough access points to deliver consistent positioning or the floor-level accuracy that many deployments demand.

To address this, we are excited to introduce the Digital Matter Wi-Fi Beacon and Private Wi-Fi Lookups — two complementary solutions designed to improve indoor location performance.

The Digital Matter Wi-Fi Beacon is a battery-powered Wi-Fi signal source that can be deployed anywhere to strengthen coverage and enhance positioning where existing Wi-Fi access points are sparse or inconsistent. It can also be used to establish a dedicated indoor Wi-Fi reference network in environments without existing infrastructure.

Private Wi-Fi Lookups, a new feature in Device Manager, enables users to define and maintain their own database of Wi-Fi access points with known locations and metadata such as floor or room, improving the precision and context of indoor location data.

Together, these capabilities deliver a scalable, practical approach to achieving higher accuracy and greater visibility indoors across complex facilities.

Indoor/Outdoor Asset Tracking with Digital Matter Devices

Digital Matter’s indoor/outdoor tracking range uses GPS for outdoor positioning and automatically switches to Wi-Fi Access Point (AP) scanning once assets move indoors.

Indoor location accuracy depends on the number, strength, and stability of nearby Wi-Fi signals. In areas with strong coverage, this method provides excellent results, but in many facilities, coverage is uneven. Warehouses, hospitals, and storage areas often have limited access points, reducing indoor accuracy.

Installing new access points can improve coverage, but it’s often expensive, time-consuming, and impractical for large or temporary sites. Our partners needed a simpler, lower-cost way to strengthen indoor positioning without adding network infrastructure. The Digital Matter Wi-Fi Beacon was developed to meet that need.

Wire-Free Indoor Coverage Expansion

The Digital Matter Wi-Fi Beacon improves indoor tracking performance by strengthening Wi-Fi coverage in areas where access points are limited. Each beacon broadcasts a configurable Wi-Fi signal that compatible Digital Matter asset tracking devices, including Core, Edge, and Fusion, detect and use to calculate indoor position.

Because it’s battery powered, the Wi-Fi Beacon can be deployed wherever additional coverage is needed, without wiring or complex setup. It serves as a fixed signal source that enables consistent, accurate positioning. Typical battery life exceeds 12 months, depending on configuration and broadcast frequency.

Used together with Private Wi-Fi Lookups, the Wi-Fi Beacon forms part of a complete indoor positioning solution by providing known, mappable reference points that can be managed in Device Manager.

Wi-Fi Beacon installed on ceiling.

Wi-Fi Beacon Features and Specifications

• Battery-Powered Operation – Runs on two D-cell batteries, providing over 12 months of use (up to 2.5 years depending on configuration).

• Wireless Installation – Fully cable-free; mount easily using magnets, screws, or cable ties.

• Flexible Configuration – Adjust beacon parameters (signal power, interval, channel) to optimize range and battery life.

• Durable Design – IP68 and IK07 housing protects against dust, impact, and moisture.

• Integrated Location Solving – Works with the Digital Matter Location Engine to enhance indoor accuracy for compatible devices.
  
  

Private Wi-Fi Lookups via Device Manager

Digital Matter devices that use Wi-Fi MAC address scanning rely on public Wi-Fi Access Point (AP) datasets to determine location when GPS isn’t available. These datasets work well in public spaces, but on private property they often lack sufficient data — and they don’t provide context such as floor level or room location.

Private Wi-Fi Lookups address this by allowing users to create their own database of known Wi-Fi Access Points, including Digital Matter Wi-Fi Beacons, and assign each one a specific location and metadata. When devices detect these private APs on-site, Location Engine uses them to produce more accurate, context-rich indoor location results — even in facilities with limited or no public Wi-Fi coverage.

Indoor Tracking Applications

• Warehousing and Logistics – Extend Wi-Fi coverage in storage or distribution areas to maintain visibility of equipment, pallets, and vehicles.

• Healthcare – Track mobile medical assets where Wi-Fi access points are limited or unevenly distributed.

• Manufacturing – Expand tracking coverage into production zones or temporary structures without network hardware.

• Retail and Commercial Facilities – Support indoor analytics and asset management across large or multi-level spaces.

• Airports and Terminals – Improve asset visibility for service equipment and vehicles operating in GPS-limited environments.

Get Started with Digital Matter Indoor/Outdoor Asset Tracking Solutions

The Digital Matter Wi-Fi Beacon and Private Wi-Fi Lookups deliver a reliable, scalable approach to improving indoor tracking accuracy and visibility across complex facilities.

Get in touch to learn how the Wi-Fi Beacon can help close coverage gaps and enhance indoor location performance in your deployments.