LoRa, Drones, and Offline Tracking - Tomi Piriyev

In this episode of The Business of LoRaWAN, I sit down with Tomi Piriyev, founder of NoliLab and creator of Loko — a peer-to-peer GPS tracking device that works without a SIM card, subscription, or cellular signal. Originally developed to solve problems in drone tracking, Loko evolved into a robust, low-power LoRa-based GPS tracker designed for real-world use in forests, farms, skydiving, and even search and rescue operations.Tomi walks us through the evolution from his drone company to the creation of Loko. The device consists of two parts — a tiny GPS-enabled "Air unit" that transmits over LoRa, and a handheld ground receiver that connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth. The whole system works offline, powered by OpenStreetMap, and is compact enough to mount on a drone, collar, or vehicle.We also talk about:Why Tomi built Loko to avoid subscriptions entirelyHow LoRa’s long range and low power consumption make it ideal for offline trackingReal-world use cases: scientists locating forest sensors, skydivers retrieving gear, and Nevada SAR teams tracking dronesThe option to switch between LoRa peer-to-peer mode and LoRaWAN gateway modeThe path forward for NoliLab, including waterproofing and scaling productionWhether you're searching for car GPS tracking devices or looking to deploy your own LoRa-based private tracking network, this episode offers a refreshing look at what it means to build durable, dependable, offline IoT hardware.Linkshttps://nolilab.com/Helium Global IoT Coverage - Want to know if Helium coverage exists where you need it? Check out this map!Helium Foundation - The Helium Foundation's IoT Working Group (IOTWG) has generously provided support for the first 6 months of shows, please go check them out and consider using the Helium LoRaWAN as a primary or backup on your next deployment. With over a quarter million gateways deployed worldwide, it's likely that you have and can use Helium coverage.Support The Show - If you'd like to support the MetSci Show financially, here's where you can donate on a one-time or an ongoing basis. Thank you!MetSci Show - If you'd like to use our IoT or AI Data Value calculators, or you'd like to contact me, the MetSci Show site is the best way to do it. MeteoScientific Console - Use LoRaWAN - The MeteoScientific Console allows you to use LoRaWAN today. As long as you have Helium coverage (and you probably do, about 90% of populated areas in the world have a gateway within 2 miles), you can onboard a sensor. You can always check coverage at https://explorer.helium.com and switch to the "IoT" tab in the top right.