On the use of LPWAN for enabling connected power tools: the LoRaWAN case

It is well-known that availability of real-time data about power tools usage can help in maximizing their useful lifetime, paving the way to services such as asset tracking, condition-based monitoring, and preventative maintenance. Additionally, monitoring of power tools during their operation can also provide useful information about the worker and improve safety at the workplace. However, despite autonomous, battery-supplied power tools are nowadays ubiquitous, only recently some connected power tools appeared on the market and most of the efforts in this direction are still limited to research activities. In any case, focusing on the communication, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) is the preferred communication solution, mainly because it is natively available in mobile devices. Indeed, due to the local BLE coverage, it is expected that remote connectivity is obtained leveraging on the worker's mobile device. In this work, we propose to exploit LoRaWAN, the most diffused Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technology, for connecting the smart power tool with the cloud, according to the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm. A proof of concept has been designed and evaluated, able to gather information about the battery charge and discharge process. A possible use case for this solution is a construction site, where workers can plan in advance the number of backup batteries to complete a task without suspending the operation for recharging and/or retrieving a fully-charged battery. Additionally, the device can be further enhanced for hosting temperature, humidity, vibration and other sensors for monitoring the storage and usage conditions. Experimental results confirm the feasibility of the proposed approach, demonstrating that a single LoRaWAn gateway is enough to cover an outdoor area in the order of
$10^5 \mathrm{~m}^2$
.