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Editor's Note: Today's top story is a new crash detection system that features RFID tags and sensors that can sense impact, determine its severity, and report the incident to monitoring units up to 250 meters away.
Switzerland-based Bibliotheca RFID has been selected by the US Military Academy Library to implement RFID at a new library facility under construction at West Point. Read more here. Recall that Bibliotheca is a portfolio company of the Liechtenstein-based investment firm RFID Invest AG that focuses specifically on opportunities in RFID (see Investment Firm Focuses on RFID).
RFID printer and solutions provider Sato has announced three new international headquarters to service the Asia-Pacific, European, and American regions. The new offices are located in Singapore, Belgium, and the United States, respectively, and are headed by members of the Sato International board of directors promoted from within the Sato Group.
Lastly, note the new classified listing below for the 25th Anniversary D/C Expo & Conference taking place at Chicago's Navy Pier from May 22nd through the 24th. |
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RFID Sensor System Promoted for Highway Safety
RFID is routinely used to collect highway tolls. Now an Australian firm is planning to use the technology to prevent highways from taking their toll on drivers. Telepathx has developed a system that integrates RFID tags, crash sensors, and wireless mesh networks to automatically detect crashes, assess the severity, and report the incident to public safety forces.
Telepathx, which operates remote monitoring systems for bush fires and other applications, and already has an extensive wireless mesh network infrastructure throughout Australia, hopes to trial its crash detection system in the Australian state of Victoria, managing director James Eades told RFID Update.
"Bringing intelligence to energy networks and detecting bush and wild fires is our core business. Monitoring auto accidents was a natural fit because the system will already be there," Eades said in an e-mail. "Our network of remote transmission units (RTUs) is located on utility poles, about every 250 meters, and they have the ability to monitor just about anything within range."
Key to the crash detection system is an RFID tag with integrated impact sensor. Telepathx envisions attaching the tags to guardrails, utility polls, and other roadside structures. When the sensor detects an impact, the RFID tag communicates to RTUs in the area, which then dispatch the information.
The 433 MHz RFID tags can communicate with RTUs from at least 125 to 250 meters away. The system assesses the severity of the impact based on how many RTUs are signaled. A high-impact collision would trigger sensors throughout the guardrail, which would signal more RTUs and indicate that the incident was serious. Wide area communication can be done through Telepathx's legacy wireless mesh network plus GSM, CDMA, and more advanced wireless technologies, and a satellite communication is in development. GPS can also be integrated to provide precise location data.
"Other systems are out there, but they are way too sensitive and create a lot of false positive readings -- not good," said Eades. "No one is interested in monitoring paint scrapes."
The sensor tags measure approximately a cubic inch and cost $20 to $25 Australian (US$17 to $21), according to Eades. He said 433 MHz technology performs best in this application, and has the added advantage of costing less than alternative frequencies.
"We get a lot of comments about frequency choice and why we don't move the whole platform over to 2.4 GHz or higher," he said. "Most of our sensors will be going off in some pretty extreme conditions -- fog, rain, snow, hail, and in ash clouds -- and we have greater confidence that 433 MHz works much better than 2.4 or 5.8 GHz at 125 meters in these conditions. We are only sending 20 to 30 bits of data, so it's hard to justify the added cost of going to higher speeds for the sake of a few milliseconds."
The system has not been installed anywhere yet, but Telepathx hopes to trial it on its Victoria network.
Because it is sensor-based, the Telepathx system is fundamentally different from reader-based systems that have been developed to read tags from passing vehicles or cargo containers for supply chain visibility applications, or from the interactive marketing system to display customized electronic billboard messages (see RFID Enables Personalized Billboard Displays).
The International Technology Alliance in Network and Information Sciences (ITA), a $135.8 million, 10-year research partnership formed last year (see Transatlantic Consortium to Research RFID) may conduct research into tag and sensor technologies and applications similar to those developed by Telepathx. Sensor-based RFID systems are the subject of extensive research and commercial development, but most focus on item-level traceability for security, inventory, and cold chain management.
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| Upcoming Events | D/C Expo & Conference, Chicago's Navy Pier, May 22-24
The only exclusive End-to-End Supply Chain & Logistics IT Event! From Procurement to Manufacturing, SOP/CRM, Warehousing, Transportation, and Reverse Logistics - you can meet strategic objectives by examining all the applications for RFID in one place! www.dcexpo.net or call 1-800-338-4112 | The latest on EPC/RFID at U CONNECT 07, June 4-7, Orlando
Best practices. User experiences. Network with experts. Over 90 basic and intermediate-to-advanced level sessions on various topics, including sessions on EPC/RFID, as well as, updates on the latest technical developments. Tool up your supply chain with the global solutions of GS1 US at the U Connect Conference, Gaylord Palms Resort. www.uconnectevent.org | 4th Annual RFID World Asia - 25-27 April - Suntec Singapore
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Get everything you need to put RFID to work today at the world's largest RFID conference & exhibition. Access the most case studies, the most how-to sessions and the most lessons learned. The 86,000 sq.-ft. exhibit hall will feature the leading technology providers. Plus, Disney Resort packages available. Save an extra 10% - use code rfidupdate. Information: http://www.rfidjournalevents.com/live | | | Webinars | Do You Know Where Your Assets Are? May 3, 12:00 pm Eastern
Seems like everyone's talking about RFID Asset Management these days - but who's really tracking what? Join Intermec and Compu-Power for a discussion about real world implementations and ROI, how to decide what's worth tracking for your business and insight into best practices and lessons learned. Register now. | | | RTLS & Active RFID | Locate it now. How? Ekahau. That's how!
Ekahau RTLS (Real-Time Location System) automatically tracks assets and people via your existing Wi-Fi network. Control costs and improve asset management with Ekahau. For more information, visit us at www.ekahau.com. | | | Research & Whitepapers | How Professional Services Increase RFID ROI
Fundamental decisions about your RFID system can have tremendous impact on success. Outsourcing design and implementation is the safest, most effective RFID investment you can make. Discover why hiring RFID experts to assist is one of the most effective RFID investments you can make. Get the full report now. | RFID Marketing Strategies Report from RFID Update
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