Loko-The Tiniest GPS Tracker with Built-In Wio-E5 Module Can Track Any Wild Animals and Drones with Seeed Fusion Co-Create

Why would the developer want to make such a GPS Tracker? 

GPS tracking is the newest technology being used to fight the fear of getting lost. However, as we noted most traditional GPS trackers work with SIM cards and the problem is, GPS trackers with SIM cards work as long as they get signals. Out of the network area, they become useless. However, unlike traditional location trackers, Loko doesn’t work with SIM cards. It has its own radio transmitter specially designed for mountains, forests, the sea, and other humanly unreachable destinations.

A tiny and durable GPS tracker. Never lose touch!

You can interpret Loko as the tiniest GPS tracker with built-in Long Range|LoraWAN radio transmitter, developed based on Seeed Wio-E5 module as core microcontroller and Long Range Radio chip. Furthermore, Loko is designed to track important instruments/vehicles like drones, expensive equipment, even wildlife and farm animals, etc. 

Here are some features & specifications: 

• Works anywhere you go
• No cellular signal or internet required
• No monthly fees
• Range up to 10km
• Locate lost objects with pinpoint accuracy.
• Up to 30+ days battery life per charge for Air unit (battery life depends on how often the Air unit is set to transmit its location)
• Expandable up to 30 Air units per Ground unit

Why did the developer choose to use Seeed Wio-E5 Module?

When we interviewed Tomi Piriyev, the developer of the Loko project, why he chose the Seeed Wio-E5 Module without hesitation. He said that: 

“When we started the Loko project,  our main requirements were ultra low power and super small . After some research we discovered STM32WJ  SoC chip which has mcu and radio chip on the same chip , but as the STM32WJ is BGA  it is very difficult to work with, which requires very difficult and costly PCB design. Then after some research and with the help of professional engineers from Seeed Studio, we found a breakthrough and helped solve the project’s biggest dilemma. We found the Wio-E5 module which is a simple to use module based on STM32WJ and the coolest thing about Wio-E5 is that it is FCC , CE  certified  which makes the product certification process 100 times simpler and less costly.”

Moreover, Tomi also mentioned the Seeed Wio-E5 module which was very simple to use AT commands to speed up the development process. It speeds up a ton of coding work!

Excellent for Drones and More

Loko is an excellent investment for drone owners to protect against the common occurrence of crashes and loss. Drone manufacturers could also pre-install Loko in their products which would give confidence to their users.

Loko can Track any animal in the wild!

Two common things about a wildlife animal scientist and a farmer are that they don’t want to lose track of their animals and they need a quality GPS tracker. Because of this, researched wildlife animals and farm animals won’t get lost when they are wearing the LOKO GPS tracker because LOKO doesn’t work with a SIM card. 

As stated, before GPS trackers activated with SIM cards do not send signals when they are out of the network area. However, the LOKO GPS tracker has a radio transmitter that lets you track any animal beyond 10km range on the map. 

Seeed Fusion provides a solution tailored to the actual needs of our customers, cutting the half cost!

In the final communication with Tomi, he was happy to mention that he also participated in Seeed Fusion’s Wio-E5 & Fusion PCBA-sponsored event, which greatly helped his project,  including high quality PCB, component costs,  assembly and even fast shipping was free. He comments that: 

“The services that Seeed Fusion provides are very suitable for our actual needs as customers. I remember that at the beginning, there was a component in our BOM that was very expensive. If we continue to use this part, it will greatly increase the cost of our single Loko. 

With the help of their professional engineers and customer service colleagues, we removed the original very expensive chip and changed the original design scheme, redesign and proofing, it saved us a lot of worry. Seeed Fusion has convinced us of its quality, efficient service, and fast delivery times, and we would love to work with Seeed Fusion in greater depth in the next loko batch production.”

Take action to bring your Wio-E5 projects to the next level!

If you have an interesting concept for Wio-E5/Wio-E5-LE, and are willing to share it with the community, co-create with us and we can help you make it a reality with Seeed Fusion’s one-stop services.

Each person is limited to 2 pcs PCBA boards 100% completely FREE for one design, including PCB fabrication, the cost of parts, assembly, and shipping. The design must include Wio-E5 or Wio-E5-LE.

Furthermore, choose all your parts from the PCBA Open Parts Libraries (OPL) and reduce the lead time to as little as 7 working days. Meanwhile, if you have mass production requirements, we highly recommend taking advantage of the Seeed Fusion PCB Assembly service and getting the Wio-E5 modules for only US$7.90 (28% discount, original price US$10.90).

Other LoRa® GPS Tracker Products

LoRa® technology offers a long-range, low-power solution for tracking assets or devices, even in areas with limited cellular coverage. Its cost-effectiveness, scalability, and efficient data transmission make it an essential choice for extended battery life and reliable tracking in various applications. To harness the power of LoRa technology in asset tracking, personnel management, and other industrial settings, we have developed a comprehensive range of products, including LoRa tracker modules, development kits, and off-the-shelf LoRaWAN tracker devices.

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