Arduino Cloud Gets Better Device Tracking with the New Advanced Map Widget

The Arduino Cloud has a new feature designed for those whose Internet of Things (IoT) projects are designed to go walkabouts: an Advanced Map widget, for better location tracking.

"Asset tracking has become increasingly crucial across various industries and applications. Whether you’re a logistics company monitoring your fleet, a conservation organization tracking wildlife, or an individual passionate about outdoor adventures, the ability to track and visualize the movement of assets in real-time can be invaluable," the Arduino team writes of its latest feature.

"Today, we are excited to announce the release of the new Advanced Map widget in the Arduino Cloud, a powerful tool that allows you to track the movement and location of your IoT devices over time."

The Advanced Map widget, currently available to those on the paid Maker and Maker Plus and not the Free and lowest-cost Entry tiers of Arduino Cloud, is designed as an extension to the existing available-to-all Map widget. Where the Map widget displays a given device's location at the time of query, the Advanced Map provides access to historical data — including movement patterns, shown on the map as lines between recorded points.

This, the Arduino Team says, makes the Advanced Map ideal for everything from asset tracking and fleet management in industrial settings to drone tracking, wildlife tracking, and even for "an adventurer tracking your outdoor explorations" — the latter particularly accessible thanks to the ability to turn a smartphone into an Arduino Cloud device suitable for tracking using the Arduino IoT Remote app.

More information on the new feature is available on the Arduino blog; those looking to use it will need an Arduino Cloud Maker subscription at a minimum, starting at $5.99 a month.