# Implementing an Industry 4.0 UWB-Based Real-Time Locating System for Optimized Tracking
## 1 Introduction  
Industry 4.0 makes significant use of information and automation technologies. The integration of information technology (IT), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and data analytics has paved the way for a virtual environment that is called digital-twin (DT) and monitors real-world facilities [1]. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) proposes the implementation of new technologies to industries and suggests that the IIoT should not merely function to enable autonomous production but also promote the use of real-time information for employees, machines, and software tools within the industry, and even communicate with external stakeholders [2, 3]. A comprehensive analysis of how digitization and automation could impact the construction industry (involving companies, the environment, and employees) has been conducted, and the results showcased that it can positively affect operational cost savings, time savings, safety enhancement, sustainability, collaboration, and on-time delivery [4]. Others conclude that there is not only one respect in which Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing can transform industries. Someexperts are convinced that it will transform the existing industries significantly; others argue that Industry 4.0 is just a collective term for technologies and concepts that have been known and applied for quite some time [5]. Either way, we are living in an era of advanced technology, and the need for real-time information about industrial processes and real-time asset monitoring is growing every day. Transparency and the cyber-physical system interconnections must be enhanced as a first step to the digital transformation. The widespread use of location-based services requires accurate positioning information about assets in both indoor and outdoor facilities. In an outdoor environment, global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) effectively provide position information with high accuracy; they are widely employed as personal navigation devices using a smartphone. Unfortunately, due to the signal attenuation caused by buildings and the surrounding materials, GNSS cannot be used to provide location-based information in indoor environments. Therefore, indoor positioning systems (IPSs) are designed to provide a solution to this technological limitation. An IPS is a network of devices and services that can locate resources in indoor facilities, while the term real-time locating system (RTLS) refers to the ability of an IPS to track resources in real-time and at the same time present them to the end users. There are plenty of applications for RTLS in indoor areas. Researchers proposed an RTLS architecture that could track assets and improve safety conditions, and the results showed that the implemented systems can reduce the risk of construction site accidents with low capital and low operational costs [6; 7]. Others have proposed using RTLS for road-worker safety when workers leave the safe zone [8]. Another study emphasizes the application of RTLS for progress assessments on construction sites, enabling project managers to monitor progress remotely [9], while others used a UWB RTLS to estimate individual disease transmission rates in indoor social events. By analyzing contact intensity, duration, and proximity, the study offers precise transmission risk assessments and valuable insights for improving infectious disease modeling and public health strategies [10]. The integration of ultra-wideband (UWB) technology in the latest iOS and Android devices reflects growing interest, and this technology is anticipated to see widespread use in the coming years, improving user experience with indoor tracking in malls, airports, and large indoor spaces. It should be stated that there are three major RTLS categories: (i) wireless signal tracking; (ii) visible tracking; and (iii) pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) tracking. Multiple RTLS implementations have been proposed using state-of-the-art technologies.