State of the Art RFID

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State of the Art - RFID

• Optimization of Supply Chain Services
• Dr. Vidyasagar Potdar
• Digital Ecosystems and Business Intelligence
  Institute Curtin University of Technology

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OUTLINE

• Introduction to Auto ID Techniques
• State of the Art
• Issues
• Case Studies
• Conclusion

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Bar Code
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INTRODUCTION
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KEY COMPONENTS
www.datasoft.se
www.eff.org
www.forrester.com
www.kennedygrp.com
www.barcoding.com
TAGS
READER
MIDDLEWARE
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RFID TAGS

• RFID tag is an electronic device that can store
  and transmit data to a reader in a contactless
  manner using radio waves
• Passive Tags
• No power
• Activated in presence of the readers radio
  waves.
• No moving parts long life
• Harsh Environment
• Smaller in size
• Cheaper

• Active tags
• Onboard Power Supply battery
• Other items processors, i/o
• ports
• Larger in size
• Comparatively Expensive

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RFID TAG PROPERTIES

• RFID Frequency Types
• Low Frequency
• High Frequency
• Ultra High Frequency
• Microware Frequency
• Each frequency has different characteristics
• Operating Distance
• Material Affinity etc.

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RADIO FREQ. PROPERTIES
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RFID READERS

• RFID Reader is also called an Interrogator
• It is a device that can read and write data to
  the RFID tags
• Serial Readers
• Directly hook on the computers serial port using
  RS232 or RS485
• Communication link is reliable than network
  readers

Source www.smartcodecorp.com

• Network Readers
• Connected via wire or
• wireless network
• Remote updates possible
• Communication link can
• become a bottleneck

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PRINTERS

• Readers are also classified as stationery and
  handheld.
• RFID Printer is a type of stationery reader which
  prints smart label.
• A smart label consists of a barcode and a RFID
  tag.
• Information such as sender, recipient addresses,
  product information etc can be printed
• Step towards RFID adoption

Source http//glossary.ippaper.com/
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Why RFID, we have Cheap Bar Codes

• Deliberate scan vs. automatic scan
• Human bar code scanners error
• You might be entering 3 t-shirts on the keypad
  instead of scanning the three items
• Line of sight vs. random orientation
• makes for faster processing, can read through
  conveyance walls, is weather resistant
• A unique item identifier for every item on earth
• Other capabilities location information
• (write many read many)

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• State of the Art
• Where can RFID be used???

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RFID Applications

• Item Tracking and Tracing
• Supply Chain Management
• Tracking Hazardous Materials
• Airline Baggage Tracking
• Inventory Management and Control
• Smart Shelves
• Parts Inventory Management for Airlines Auto
  Mfg
• 65 of 370,000 records inaccurate (HBS study
  2003)
• Asset Monitoring and Management
• Fleet Monitoring and Management
• Animal Tracking

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RFID Applications

• Anti-Theft
• Automotive anti-theft Immobilization
• Retail anti-theft in combination with Electronic
  Article Surveillance (EAS)
• Electronic Payment
• Speed Pass
• Electronic Toll Payments
• Access Control
• Perimeter and Building Security System
• Parking Access System
• Anti-Tampering
• Smart Shipping Containers and Port Security
• Drug anti-tampering

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RFID Applications

• Anti-Counterfeiting
• Drug Anti-counterfeit
• Currency Anti-counterfeit
• 500B pharmaceuticals business, 50B counterfeit
  (MIT 2003)
• Smart Cards
• Smart Expiration Date Determination
• Smart Weapons

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ISSUES

• COST ROI
• SECURITY
• PRIVACY
• DEPLOYMENT
• RELIABILITY

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ROI Issues Especially for SMEs

• Hardware
• RFID Tags 50c
• RFID Printers 3000
• RFID Readers 3500
• High Power Antennas
  1500
• Software
• RFID Middleware
  180K
• Human Resource
• Consulting 128K
• Internal Project Team 315K
• Miscellaneous Costs

1Forester Research- Cost Estimated for a 12
Billion manufacturer
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SECURITY
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• Australia Adoption
• MORAITIS FRESH
• AUSTRALIA POST
• AUSTRALIAN MILITARY

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MORAITIS

• Company
• Moraitis Fresh is a family-owned fruit and
  vegetable company
• Problem
• Products Low Shelf Life
• Supply Chain Optimization
• Solution
• RFID technology to streamline supply chain in a
  cost-effective manner to reduce time and labour
• Solution Provider
• IBM Business Consulting Services
• Technology Provider
• Magellans StackTag technology
• Cost
• A 100,000

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AUSTRALIA POST

• Company
• Australia Post
• Problem
• Mail Sorting
• Supply Chain Optimization
• Solution
• RFID technology to streamline supply chain in a
  cost-effective manner to reduce time and labour
• Technology Provider
• Lyngsoe Systems AMQM Automatic Mail Quality
  measurement system
• Hardware Software
• 12,500 Active Tags operating at 433.92 MHz
  frequency
• Lyngsoe's RD21 readers supporting 15 antennas
  apiece
• QSM Software

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AUSTRALIAN MILITARY

• Company
• Australia Military
• Problem
• Tracking shipments of supplies that arrive at
  their destinations
• Solution
• Australia's DoD deployed RFID supply chain
  tracking system to help it forecast when
  shipments of supplies will arrive at their
  destinations, and to ensure that material is
  accurately and efficiently ordered
• Technology Provider
• Savi Technology - Savi's SmartChain Consignment
  Management Solution
• Hardware Software
• Savi's active ST-654 tags
• SR-650 fixed readers
• SMR-650 handheld computers

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Solution Developed _at_ DEBII

• RFID for Container Yard Tracking in HK
• (A joint Uni-Industry project funded by ARC of
  460K, 2001)
• Lifting Equipment Tracking
• (2006)
• Chemical Tracking
• (2007)

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Kwai Chung Container Tracking System

• GPS based systems are not considered as part of
  the proposal based on
• Cost factors
• High Infrastructure demand to support port
  tracking
• Un-reliable in a stationary (container) tracking
  environment, Un-reliable around buildings,
  constructions
• GSM based systems are not considered as part of
  the proposal based on
• Cost factors
• High Infrastructure demand to support port
  tracking
• Radiation related issues, Un-reliable around
  buildings, constructions
• Bar coding systems are not considered as part of
  the proposal based on
• Volume of container traffic, Hash Conditions,
  Reliability Problems
• Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
• RFID Tag, RF Location Antenna, RF Enabled
  Tag Reader, RF Location Processor
• Wireless Devices
• Portable PDA, Hand-Held, Vehicle Mount,
  Access Points (Fixed Auto Data Readers)

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Kwai Chung Solution
WherePort Wireless Mobile Tag Locator
WhereWand Wireless Hand-Held Computer to
Read/Write the WhereNet Tags (with Built-in
Barcode Scanner)
All cargo/containers are tagged with advanced RF
enabled sensors (Tag) when they enter the ports
boundary. The port boundary is implanted with RF
based radio beckons (Location Antenna), which can
read/write to the container tags, to uniquely
locate their position in two-dimensional plane.
In addition to locate their position, the RF
based technology also helps any vehicle
mounted/personal PDA to navigate to the location
(Vehicle Mount Computer). This is very similar to
a portable metal-detector where the location of
the cargo/container is pinpointed on a two
dimensional plane.
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Kwai Chung Implementation
Location Antenna
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RFID Implementation
RF Location Antenna Placement Along Kwai Chung
Port
RF Radio Frequency
Location Antenna
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Govt. Funded Uni-Industry Project
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Conclusion RFID ADVANTAGES

• Absence of Line of Sight
• Privacy Rights Infringement Implications
• Contact less
• No wear and tear
• Writable
• 10,000 to 1 million times
• Security is an issue tags may be tampered
• Variety of Read Ranges
• Location Tracking Large Read Range
• Data Capacity
• Store a unique identifier increased network
  traffic
• Store data locally

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Conclusion RFID ADVANTAGES

• Simultaneous Tag Reads
• Anti-collision Algorithms
• Business Benefits No manual data entry
• Rugged
• Passive Tags Few electronic components
• Extreme temperature -40oC to 204oC
• Read Accuracy
• Reusability
• No business justification for passive tags
• Cost for reintroducing tags may be too high

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Continuing Research

• Performance dependent
• Environment - Humans, Motors, Wireless Networks
• Material RF Opaque or RF Absorbent (metals or
  liquids)
• Limitations on Actual Tag Reads
• Hardware Interference
• Reader Collision (overlapping coverage area)
• Penetration Power of the RF Energy
• Reader Power and Duty Cycle1 (regulated)
• Technology
• Defective Tags, Inconsistent Tag Behavior
• Standards
• Cost

1Amount of time the reader can emit RF energy to
read tags
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RFID WORKSHOP

• An Introduction to
• Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for Supply
  Chain
• Presented by Dr. Vidyasagar (Vidy) Potdar
• Where Curtin Graduate School of Business, 78
  Murray Street, Perth
• Cost 440 (GST Inclusive) for 2 days
• Sponsors
• Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC)
• Centre for Extended Enterprises and Business
  Intelligence (CEEBI)
• Logistics Association of Australia (LAA).
• More Information
• http//www.patrec.org/courses/courses_temp.html

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In 2006, we have applied 2 patents on the work
done in RFID security, and two more patents are
in preparation.We are looking forward to work
with Supply Chain Industry.QUESTIONS ?