Introducing AWS IoT Core Machine Location integration with Amazon Sidewalk

At the moment, I’m glad to announce a brand new functionality to resolve location information for Amazon Sidewalk enabled gadgets with the AWS IoT Core Machine Location service. This function removes the requirement to put in GPS modules in a Sidewalk gadget and in addition simplifies the developer expertise of resolving location information. Gadgets powered by small coin cell batteries, reminiscent of good dwelling sensor trackers, use Sidewalk to attach. Supporting built-in GPS modules for merchandise that transfer round isn’t solely costly, it will possibly creates problem in making certain optimum battery life efficiency and longevity.

With this launch, Web of Issues (IoT) gadget producers and answer builders can construct asset monitoring and site monitoring options utilizing Sidewalk-enabled gadgets by sending Bluetooth Low Power (BLE), Wi-Fi, or World Navigation Satellite tv for pc System (GNSS) info to AWS IoT for location decision. They will then ship the resolved location information to an MQTT subject or AWS IoT rule and route the info to different Amazon Net Providers (AWS) companies, thus utilizing totally different capabilities of AWS Cloud by AWS IoT Core. This may simplify their software program growth and provides them extra choices to decide on the optimum location supply, thereby bettering their product efficiency.

This launch addresses earlier challenges and structure complexity. You don’t want location sensing on network-based gadgets whenever you use the Sidewalk community infrastructure itself to find out gadget location, which eliminates the necessity for power-hungry and dear GPS {hardware} on the gadget. And, this function additionally permits gadgets to effectively measure and report location information from GNSS and Wi-Fi, thus extending the product battery life. Due to this fact, you possibly can construct a extra compelling answer for asset monitoring and location-aware IoT purposes with these enhancements.

For these unfamiliar with Amazon Sidewalk and the AWS IoT Core Machine Location service, I’ll briefly clarify their historical past and context. In case you’re already accustomed to them, you possibly can skip to the part on get began.

AWS IoT Core integrations with Amazon Sidewalk
Amazon Sidewalk is a shared community that helps gadgets work higher by improved connectivity choices. It’s designed to help a variety of buyer gadgets with capabilities starting from finding pets or valuables, to good dwelling safety and lighting management and distant diagnostics for home equipment and instruments.

Amazon Sidewalk is a safe neighborhood community that makes use of Amazon Sidewalk Gateways (additionally referred to as Sidewalk Bridges), reminiscent of appropriate Amazon Echo and Ring gadgets, to offer cloud connectivity for IoT endpoint gadgets. Amazon Sidewalk permits low-bandwidth and long-range connectivity at dwelling and past utilizing BLE for short-distance communication and LoRa and frequency-shift keying (FSK) radio protocols at 900MHz frequencies to cowl longer distances.

Sidewalk now gives protection to greater than 90% of the US inhabitants and helps long-range related options for communities and enterprises. Customers with Ring cameras or Alexa gadgets that act as a Sidewalk Bridge can select to contribute a small portion of their web bandwidth, which is pooled to create a shared community that advantages all Sidewalk-enabled gadgets in a neighborhood.

In March 2023, AWS IoT Core deepened its integration with Amazon Sidewalk to seamlessly provision, onboard, and monitor Sidewalk gadgets with certified {hardware} growth kits (HDKs), SDKs, and pattern purposes. As of this writing, AWS IoT Core is the one approach for purchasers to attach the Sidewalk community.

Within the AWS IoT Core console, you possibly can add your Sidewalk gadget, provision and register your gadgets, and join your Sidewalk endpoint to the cloud. To be taught extra about onboarding your Sidewalk gadgets, go to the Getting began with AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk within the AWS IoT Wi-fi Developer Information.

In November 2022, we introduced AWS IoT Core Machine Location service, a brand new function that you should use to get the geo-coordinates of their IoT gadgets even when the gadget doesn’t have a GPS module. You need to use the Machine Location service as a easy request and response HTTP API, or you should use it with IoT connectivity pathways like MQTT, LoRaWAN, and now with Amazon Sidewalk.

Within the AWS IoT Core console, you possibly can take a look at the Machine Location service to resolve the placement of your gadget by importing gadget payload information. Useful resource location is reported as a GeoJSON payload. To be taught extra, go to the AWS IoT Core Machine Location within the AWS IoT Core Developer Information.

Clients throughout a number of industries like automotive, provide chain, and industrial instruments have requested a simplified answer such because the Machine Location service to extract location-data from Sidewalk merchandise. This may streamline buyer software program growth and provides them extra choices to decide on the optimum location supply, thereby bettering their product.

Get began with a Machine Location integration with Amazon Sidewalk
To allow Machine Location for Sidewalk gadgets, go to the AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk part underneath LPWAN gadgets within the AWS IoT Core console. Select Provision gadget or your present gadget to edit the setting and choose Activate positioning within the Geolocation choice when creating and updating your Sidewalk gadgets.

Whereas activating place, you want to specify a vacation spot the place you wish to ship your location information. The vacation spot can both be an AWS IoT rule or an MQTT subject.

Here’s a pattern AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) command to allow place whereas provisioning a brand new Sidewalk gadget:

$ aws iotwireless createwireless gadget --type Sidewalk 
  --name "demo-1" --destination-name "New-1" 
  --positioning Enabled

After your Sidewalk gadget establishes a connection to the Amazon Sidewalk community, the gadget SDK will ship the GNSS-, Wi-Fi- or BLE-based info to AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk. If the client has enabled Positioning, then AWS IoT Core Machine Location will resolve the placement information and ship the placement information to the required Vacation spot. After your Sidewalk gadget transmits location measurement information, the resolved geographic coordinates and a map pin can even be displayed within the Place part for the chosen gadget.

Additionally, you will get location info delivered to your vacation spot in GeoJSON format, as proven within the following instance:

{
    "coordinates": [
        13.376076698303223,
        52.51823043823242
    ],
    "kind": "Level",
    "properties": {
        "verticalAccuracy": 45,
        "verticalConfidenceLevel": 0.68,
        "horizontalAccuracy": 303,
        "horizontalConfidenceLevel": 0.68,
        "nation": "USA",
        "state": "CA",
        "metropolis": "Sunnyvale",
        "postalCode": "91234",
        "timestamp": "2025-11-18T12:23:58.189Z"
    }
}

You may monitor the Machine Location information between your Sidewalk gadgets and AWS Cloud by enabling Amazon CloudWatch Logs for AWS IoT Core. To be taught extra, go to the AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk within the AWS IoT Wi-fi Developer Information.

Now obtainable
AWS IoT Core Machine Location integration with Amazon Sidewalk is now usually obtainable within the US East (N. Virginia) Area. To be taught extra about use instances, documentation, pattern codes, and associate gadgets, go to the AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk product web page.

Give it a attempt within the AWS IoT Core console and ship suggestions to AWS re:Submit for AWS IoT Core or by your normal AWS Assist contacts.

— Channy