Monitoring the location of LoRaWAN network clients using sensor IoT devices

Abstract

The article presents the design of a location monitoring system for clients using sensor-based IoT devices built on LoRaWAN wireless technology. The proposed solution is intended for use in environments with limited power supply, no cellular coverage, and a need for continuous movement tracking. The system consists of a client device based on an ESP32 microcontroller equipped with a NEO-6M GPS module and an SX1278 LoRa transceiver. It transmits data including coordinates, movement speed, and rest duration. The operator module receives messages via the LoRaWAN network and displays real-time information on a LCD display. The number of operator modules is not limited. The software is developed in the Arduino IDE using the TinyGPSPlus, LoRa, and LiquidCrystal_I2C libraries. Here is defined data format for system scalability. A comparative analysis with ZigBee and GSM technologies shows LoRaWAN’s superior energy efficiency, coverage range, and communication stability. The solution is suitable for use in tourism, healthcare, occupational safety, sports, and transport. It improves group safety, supports real-time tracking, and enables rapid emergency response, contributing to intelligent monitoring systems. The given prototype allows scalable client data acquisition depending on the use case. The operator unit can also be extended to output data to other displays (e.g., OLED) or automate certain decision-making processes.