By Marc Kavinsky, Lead Editor at IoT Business News.
Digital Matter has introduced Griffin Air, a rugged GPS asset tracker designed for air freight and global supply chain operations, with automatic flight-aware cellular control, multi-year AA battery operation, and approvals from more than 40 airlines.
Air freight operations are often fraught with challenges, particularly concerning IoT asset tracking. The crux of the issue lies in the connectivity dropout that occurs mid-journey. Unlike conventional tracking tools that excel within the confines of a garage or warehouse, state-of-the-art trackers struggle to maintain their signal once secured within an aircraft’s cargo hold. This predicament creates an operational conundrum: how does one uphold visibility while sidestepping additional steps that could bog down shipments or compromise carrier compliance?
A Tailored Solution for Flight Dynamics
Digital Matter’s Griffin Air directly confronts this challenge. Rather than offering a generic tracker adorned with an aviation label, the company has meticulously designed this device around the nuanced requirements of multi-leg air cargo movements. The primary innovation? An automated cellular transmission management system that seamlessly interacts with flight phases.
Griffin Air employs an onboard barometer and accelerometer to automatically detect takeoff and landing. This intelligent system disables cellular communications while airborne and re-establishes them post-landing—all without manual input. Given the strict aviation regulations against cellular transmissions in aircraft, this automated compliance feature significantly reduces potential regulatory headaches for logistics teams.
Reimagining Compliance in Logistics
This focus on automatic functionality diverges from traditional asset tracking products that often emphasize location accuracy or dashboard capabilities while treating the specifics of transport mode as secondary. Griffin Air’s design prioritizes the flight phases within its operation logic, therefore turning compliance from a cumbersome workflow into an embedded feature.
Digital Matter boasts that Griffin Air has successfully passed DO-160 testing and holds individual authorizations from more than 40 airlines. However, logistics managers should note that airline approvals are carrier-specific, highlighting the importance of due diligence before integrating the device into any operational strategy.
Long-lasting Power for Extended Operations
The device is powered by three user-replaceable AA batteries, boasting an impressive battery life of over seven years with daily pings, or more than 2.5 years with reduced frequency. This longevity means that the tracker can be serviced easily in the field—a boon for operational continuity.
The implications extend beyond mere battery life; they reshape the operational model for air cargo tracking. The economic burden sometimes tied to asset retrieval and redeployment diminishes when you can maintain prolonged operational periods with batteries you can change on the go. However, businesses must weigh operational requirements against battery life. For those needing real-time tracking, the specifics of ping rates become crucial.
Versatility Across Different Environments
Beyond air transport, Griffin Air excels in terrestrial and indoor settings. It utilizes GPS and cellular reporting when on the ground and deploys Wi-Fi access point scanning for positioning in areas where GPS signals are weak, such as warehouses and maintenance facilities. Moreover, the tracker boasts a Bluetooth 5.2 gateway, enabling it to gather data from BLE tags. This feature enriches visibility by capturing temperature, humidity, and other important condition metrics.
This multifunctionality is significant given that air freight visibility rarely concludes or begins at the aircraft door. Griffin Air can persistently log events throughout a product’s journey, encompassing everything from tarmac operations to road transport. The ability to unify these tracking features cuts down on the complexities and potential confusion tied to using multiple devices across diverse tracking stages.
Connectivity and Data Management
Griffin Air’s connectivity relies on 4G Cat 1bis technology, with 2G as a fallback option. Importantly, it is equipped with flash memory capable of storing records when cellular coverage is unavailable, a crucial feature for international routes where cellular service can vary considerably. Although the device won’t provide live feedback during coverage outages, it will supply a comprehensive shipment history upon reconnection.
Broader Implications for the IoT Ecosystem
The introduction of Griffin Air illuminates how tailored compliance needs are increasingly shaping the design of IoT hardware. This device exemplifies a shift: it’s not just about adding another radio; it’s about embedding specific operational rules right into the device itself.
For connectivity providers, Griffin Air presents a reminder of the complexities involved in global asset tracking, particularly in air cargo, where certain periods necessitate compliant communication downtime. Furthermore, system integrators will likely focus their efforts on aligning flight data, impact records, and Wi-Fi location inputs with existing logistics workflows.
Ultimately, Griffin Air stands out as particularly advantageous for enterprises needing to monitor assets consistently through a variety of transport modes—air, ground, and indoor—and where regular device handling is not feasible. This is not merely another battery-operated GPS tracker; its unique offerings lie in its flight-aware operational controls, airline-specific certifications, and versatile environmental adaptability—all encapsulated in one deployable format.