Practices for Using Passive, Low-Cost RFID for Improved Asset Tracking

Transcription

1 RFID Technology Review Practices for Using Passive, Low-Cost RFID for Improved Asset Tracking Sponsored by: Presented by: Shane Snyder President 2014 MHI Copyright claimed as to audiovisual works of seminar sessions and sound recordings of seminar sessions. All rights reserved.

2 RFID Technology Review RFID = Radio Frequency Identification Use of Radio Frequency technology for automated inventory control eliminates costly user-initiated line of sight inventory activities that other technologies require.

3 RFID Technology Review When To Apply RFID User Intervention Stop and Scan Scan and Count

4 RFID Technology Review When To Apply RFID Line of Sight: Position or Environment Freezer Applications Outdoor Sunlight Paint, coverings, etc.

5 RFID Tag Types Traditional Active RTLS Active WiFi UWB Passive RFID Technology Review

6 Typical RTLS Infrastructure Wireless Infrastructure Existing APs RTLS Wireless Infrastructure APs along perimeter Minimum of 3, 4 or more preferred (triangulation) Can supplement existing Exciters Stage 1 Check In/ Check Out Wireless Set Up for RTLS Additional APs RTLS Exciters Used in choke points or localized areas. Short range 1-6 meters. Excite tag - Tag id + Exciter id sent to WiFi Stage 2 Stage 3 Mustering Cycle Time Monitoring Gate Management

7 Passive RFID RFID Technology Review No battery Reader Energy charges chip and reflects Last Seen Technology Every year the tags and readers are rates are improving

8 RFID Technology Consolidation Select the most appropriate technology for overall requirements Active RFID for people tracking applications, high value assets or true RTLS data is required Passive RFID when cost or asset type limitations exist and chokepoint/gateway detection is sufficient for the application use case Hybrid Approach Combines ACTIVE & PASSIVE

9 RFID in the Supply Chain Most supply chain processes rely on passive technology: Cost of tags Disposable vs Recoverable Encoded and applied by partners/suppliers Meets the GS1, DoD, or other RFID data encoding scheme

10 RFID in the Supply Chain Common Use Cases Receiving Ship Confirm Bulk Location Physical Inventory

11 RFID in the Supply Chain Read Zones are established around Dock Doors / Aisles Lots of hardware and labor Enclosures Readers Antennas Cables Costs are high to create a scalable system

12 RFID in the Supply Chain Direction of Travel Difficult Added antennas Aimed in/out More complex software Use of optical sensors Misreads

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15 RFID in Supply Chain Most supply chain processes rely on passive technology Cost of tags Disposable vs Recoverable Encoded and applied by partners/suppliers Meets the GS1, DoD, or other RFID data encoding scheme

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17 RFID in the Supply Chain Paradigm Shift Coming Wide Area Monitoring Becoming Reality Reader in the sky Looks like a ceiling tile Mounted above the doors 30 cone of coverage Many antenna arrays embedded Direction of Travel detection Continuous Inventory Monitoring

18 RFID Paradigm Shift Installation is easy Quickly Deployed Minimal chance of accidental collisions Scalable Power Over Ethernet driven

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20 RFID Paradigm Shift Reader Generates a Unique Read Field Side View View Looking Down Colored circles represent tags/reads

21 Passive RTLS becoming a reality No need for gated paths Perfect for floor inventory Open facilities An array of readers can Blanket an area Determine in/out RFID Paradigm Shift

22 Wide Area Monitoring for Inventory Visibility Reader constantly inventories items no human intervention necessary! Is the item available to sell? Yes, available on shelf No, discounted for shop wear Yes, but in shoe department No, charged to loss account

23 Wide Area Monitoring Reader units installed with 3.7m lateral separation 3.7m high ceiling Tagging Items on Floor

24 Passive RTLS Benefits Over Active RTLS Effective Low maintenance asset tags Large variety of tags for best fit to item Dedicated infrastructure 145 sq. meters of coverage per device and1.5m or better granularity Easy No batteries Simple to deploy all-inone with PoE Economical Passive tags are 1/25 th the cost of active tags Leveraged across more product categories Systems and Support Uses tried and true industry standards Built in direction and location algorithms Scalable and deployable across the supply chain

25 The game is changing Summary Watch the use of passive RFID escalate with the newer reader systems deployed Deployment costs go down, scalability goes up Low cost passive tags applied to use cases only suitable for active tags

26 For More Information: Speaker Website: Visit MODEX Booth 3027