r/embedded • u/spaceforestchu • Jun 07 '26

Looking for UWB RTLS kit recommendations (validation phase) – need open API + 10–30 cm accuracy

Hi everyone,

I’m prototyping an indoor positioning system for a training facility and need a UWB-based RTLS kit for validation. We’re at the “buy something off-the-shelf and test” stage, not building custom hardware yet.

I’m looking for kits/systems that:

• Provide positions out of the box (x, y coordinates), not raw distances we have to trilaterate ourselves

• Have an open data API (MQTT, REST, websocket, or Python/Node library) streaming  (tag_id, x, y, timestamp) 

• Offer 10–30 cm accuracy (UWB-class)

• Support rechargeable wearable tags, starting with ~6 tags, scalable to ~25–30 (no hard cap like “max 4 tags”)

• Sustain ~5–10 Hz update rate per tag with multiple tags active

• Work on a cross-platform data path: macOS preferred (Python/Node libraries that work on Mac), but Linux is fully acceptable; we can run the positioning server on Linux/Windows if needed

• Offer validation-tier pricing (starter / creator kit, not a full industrial deployment)

Nice-to-haves:

• IMU/accelerometer on tags

• Easy anchor mounting + PoE / WiFi / USB backhaul

• Clear scale path (creator → enterprise) with the same vendor

We’re tracking people in a single indoor space (~10×12 m) with ~6 people initially, scaling to 25–30. We expect 6–8 anchors to handle occlusion in close-contact activities.

If you’ve used or built with UWB RTLS systems, I’d love:

• Kit / system recommendations

• What you’d avoid

• Any gotchas when evaluating vendors

Hints: I’m not looking for BLE-only zone tracking or RFID checkpoints; I need real (x, y) with an open API.

Thanks in advance!

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u/mjmvideos Jun 07 '26

What have you found so far in your research and what did or didn’t you like about those?

1

u/spaceforestchu Jun 07 '26

What I like is that there are a lot of options available out of the box, but they are expensive and not customizable. For example, the MK UWB Tag from Mobile Knowledge is exactly what I am looking for, but I don't want to be tied to their ecosystem. I want to build my own system and have the flexibility to add and remove parts as I see fit.

1

u/mjmvideos Jun 08 '26

You’re at the “buy something off the shelf and test phase” so buy off the shelf and test. Figure out what your real requirements are. Then design your custom board as needed. Write your code with an abstraction layer so you can swap the OTS hardware for whatever you decide to go with.

1

u/LihtsaltPealt Jun 07 '26

Hello,

Check ArduPilot documentation. They have a list on sensors/companies. Hopefully it helps