Assessment of Bluetooth Low Energy Mesh for long range sensor data transmission and distance measurements

This study evaluates Bluetooth Low Energy Mesh communication for wireless sensor networks in challenging environments. Transmission reliability, latency, and range were tested over varying distances and hop counts indoors and outdoors. Reliable communication was observed for up to 130 m, with partial success receiving beyond 200 m. Varying the length of messages was found to have little effect on the transmission success. A distance estimation based on the received signal strength indicator parameter proved accurate within 75 m due to signal variability in larger ranges. Predictably, the measured latency increased with each relay hop. These results highlight the capabilities and limitations of Bluetooth Low Energy Mesh for real-time sensor data transmission and localization.