In 2002 a supermarket chain, Thriftway in Washington, USA introduced a new scheme that allowed customers to pay for their shopping in a different, simpler method. Once shoppers sign up they can pay at the tills using just their finger, specifically their fingerprint.

It’s an inventive solution to credit card fraud in that since all fingerprints are unique it would make them very hard to be used fraudulently. Once the customer has scanned their fingerprint they are then prompted to select which of the credit cards they have registered to their profile to use.

Three years later and Thriftway’s President Paul Kapioski pronounced the scheme a great success, not only that but the process has attracted much more business through it’s doors as word spread. He even stated someone drove 400 miles to use the technology!  But now at the begining of 2010 it’s time to review what role biometrics and RFID will play in llogistics manageent andtracking and in payment systems.

Mr Kapioski tated that the added security of using biometrics had seen many people feel more secure especially senior citizens, who welcomed not having to carry money around with them. Whilst it was still in its infancy back then Mr Kapioski assured that in the two and a half years that there had not been a single fraudulent transaction on the system, a great win against fraud with credit cards. However, the system has not seen widespread take-up elsewhere.

The concern about implementing such an advanced system was that not enough customers would join to make it worthwhile, far from it. The 60 day trial of the system had to be made permanent almost straight away with most customers signing up straight away. In an age where we’re more concerned about who has our personal data and what they do with it the public were very receptive of this scheme and has since become a standard practice with the supermarket chain accounting for 30% of electronic payments..

The main driving factor for the new payment process was cost, far from being too expensive to use it actually helped save valuable cents off credit cards and debit card electronic transactions. Whilst customers were receiving of this technology the move towards RFID (Radio frequency identification) has some consumers concerned about what their personal information is being used on and can be sceptical. Analysts believe that new technology should be marketed correctly and sold to the public highlighting the benefits such as in this scheme.

So with the added security and convenience this method of paying for goods with credit cards should help build confidence and ease of use for the card holder and with Paul Kapioski speaking at a recent Retail Fraud Conference in London it looks like we may see this kind of scheme this side of the Atlantic in the near future.

RFID, Radio Frequency Identification System consists of a tag, a reader and a host system. Host system takes care about the flow of information, sending and receiving to and from the reader and tag. Air interface or Radio Frequency is the medium for data transmission. There are two types of RFID Systems: Near field and far field. Near-field systems are that in which inductive coupling of the tag employ to the reactive energy circulating around the reader antenna, and far-field systems that couple to the real energy contained in propagating electromagnetic plane waves.

The reader contains a radio frequency module, a signal processing and micro controller unit, a coupling element and the interface to a host system. There are many different kinds of readers on the market, such as desktop, hand-held, tunnel or gate/gantry style readers. The host system controls the data flow between the readers and tags. It can be as simple as a personal computer connected to the reader by an RS-232 serial cable.

RFID systems bring a revolution in UPC or EAN barcodes systems. RFID technology has many important advantages over existing barcode systems.
The ability to scan or read a product without line of sight,
Multiple product reads in one pass and
Being able to store a larger amount of information are all key advantages over barcodes.

Diana
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/the-heart-of-rfid-system-71405.html

Toronto, ON, September, 2006 - The ability of any enterprise to effectively monitor it¡¯s manufacturing facility and ¡°work in progress¡± has been an elusive or costly endeavor. However, with the introduction of RFID technologies and its application to the manufacturing process such initiatives are now well within reach.

RFID by its very nature has the ability to read tags or labels over distances and multiple or batches simultaneously. Other RFID initiatives provide the ability to write data to a tag multiple times.

A proposed solution to accurately monitor work in progress on the manufacturing floor of Aerospace companies can be described as follows:

Each manufacturing operation step is installed with an RFID reader.

The unique ID for each reader provides the enterprise with a granular representation of the shop floor.

Each piece of work or component is affixed with a tag (or in the instance of palletized small pieces, the pallet can be tagged and read and the software would determine the pieces used per operation)

When a piece arrives for machining or processing the tag is read and the unique ID is time and date stamped and sent to the database.

The workflow software will then provide the means by which the work in progress can be monitored and associated with specific job orders.

The ability to see work in progress at any given time will have beneficial results in that sales people will be able to communicate more accurate ETAs on placed orders. Production managers can use the information to assess production bottlenecks and validate the accuracy of lean manufacturing initiatives. To learn more, please visit www.gaotek.com

About GAO Tek Inc
GAO Tek Inc. is the leading provider of RFID, engineering development tools, test and measurement instruments and electronic components that serve the needs of electronic design engineers in the world.

Contact
GAO RFID Inc.
(416)-292-0038
marketing@gaorfid.com

Ronnie Sant
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/work-in-progress-monitoring-using-rfid-90730.html

DAILY RFID, has developed a new HF smart label for library management. This RFID tag, including a small IC chip and antenna, can be embedded in books to enable automatic management of library books within libraries,with price at under 0.32 USD.

This HF smart label offers a guaranteed more than 10-year data lifespan to produce a robust RFID library solution which offers long-term data integrity. And the memory of the RFID label can be customized in 1K or 4K to record informations of library books such as its title, type, author, specific remarks and borrowing records.

This HF smart label can be  integrated with a protected EAS functionality for library. Besides,the new tag can be imprinted with custom logos, and is fully rewriteable to allow compliance with a future ISO tag data standard.

By adding an RFID smart label to each book, each library item has its unique identifiers.Because the RFID labels is encoded with a unique ID code that conforms to a data model called the “Generic Set of Requirements RFID for public libraries”.

This RFID tags can be used for identification in book circulation, as well as in theft protection and library logistics such as shelf control and inventory.

Please visit http://www.rfid-in-china.com/products_686_1.html for more infomation about RFID smart label for library management.

About DAILY RFID CO.,LIMITED

DAILY RFID CO.,LIMITED( www.rfid-in-china.com ) , which belongs to PAN Group Co., ltd, is the leading company focusing on the research and development of EPC & RFID technology in China. We are commited to providing “Innovative Technology”, ” Superior, Cost-efficient Product” and ” Professional, Efficient Customer Services”.

DAILY RFID specialize in producing arguably the world’s most extensive line of RFID Tag,RFID Label,Smart Card and RFID Reader, which are suitable for any vertical markets, and have obtained the National Integrated Circuit Card Register Certificate, IC Card Manufacture License and ISO9001 Quality Management System Certification. Also, we own a factory covering an area of 26,000 square meters.

jackpan
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-opportunities-articles/hf-rfid-smart-label-for-library-management-by-daily-rfid-750621.html

DAILY RFID, has developed new UHF RFID label, each including a small IC chip and antenna. It has be integrated into many UHF RFID projects successfully, which is available at around 0.32 USD per piece.

This UHF RFID label has a long-range readability of up to 5m-6m and can be rewritten over 100,000 times. It supports protocols ISO 18000-6C EPC Gen2,18000-6B.This UHF label offers a guaranteed more than 10-year data lifespan to produce a robust RFID solution which offers long-term data integrity.

The memory of the RFID label can be customized in 1K or 4K to record informations.Besides,the UHF RFID tags can be imprinted with custom logos, and is rewriteable to allow compliance with a future ISO tag data standard.

Because the RFID labels is encoded with a unique ID code, each tagging item has its unique identifiers. And this tag can be applied in many fields like RFID Document Tracking,RFID Asset Management and so on.

Please visit http://www.rfid-in-china.com/products_686_1.html for more infomation about RFID labels.

About DAILY RFID CO.,LIMITED

DAILY RFID CO.,LIMITED( www.rfid-in-china.com ) , which belongs to PAN Group Co., ltd, is the leading company focusing on the research and development of EPC & RFID technology in China.

DAILY RFID specialize in producing arguably the world’s most extensive line of RFID Tag,RFID Label,Smart Card and RFID Reader, which are suitable for any vertical markets, and have obtained the National Integrated Circuit Card Register Certificate, IC Card Manufacture License and ISO9001 Quality Management System Certification. Also, we own a factory covering an area of 26,000 square meters.

DAILY’s products are designed and manufactured with recognized industry standards relevant to RFID and its markets but most notably for use in the demanding environments to recognize and understand your business’s RFID needs. We are commited to providing “Innovative Technology”, ” Superior, Cost-efficient Product” and ” Professional, Efficient Customer Services”.

jackpan
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/uhf-rfid-label-01-lowcost-adhesive-uhf-rfid-tags-from-daily-755652.html

Unlike other staffing organizations, 100% of ProLogistix recruiting efforts are logistics centered. Branch staff is trained in logistics, and they understand the intricacies of the industry. Staff is not spending time testing and interviewing bookkeepers, data entry clerks, and construction workers. ProLogistix is fortunate to have built a reputation in the communities served as the “go-to” company when seeking a job in a warehouse or distribution center.

If a company uses RF scanners, we won’t send them employees who only have manual pick ticket experience,” according to Brian Devine, division vice-president of ProLogistix. “The staffing industry was doing a poor job servicing the logistics industry with talented employees. At ProLogistix, we created the most comprehensive application process for logistics employees in the industry. We use our selection process to evaluate a candidate’s specific knowledge and experience, and we then match qualifications to the positions for which we are recruiting.”

ResourceMFG, the sister division to ProLogistix places manufacturing specific positions. Devine explained the differentiation between the two organization by noting, “The way we differentiate between which clients are best served by ResourceMFG or ProLogistix is to ask what the company does. If they manufacture products, then they are best suited to ResourceMFG; if they distribute products, then ProLogistix is the right staff solution.”

The types of positions ProLogistix fills include:

• Loaders and Unloaders

• Order Selectors

• Warehouse Associates

• Shipping and Receiving

• Forklift Operators

• Quality Assurance

• Supervisors

• Warehouse Managers

• Operations Manager

Each ProLogistix branch employs a certified forklift trainer, so every powered industrial equipment operator placed on assignment is certified in accordance with the OSHA requirements. Nationwide ProLogistix has more than 6200 certified forklift operators.

The combination of an exclusive focus on logistics, screening tools utilized in the application process, and the experience of branch staff makes ProLogistix the leading provider of logistics talent in the country.

Thomas Cutler
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/manual-picking-versus-rfid-scanning-creates-new-labor-skill-sets-124436.html

Nissan North America, Inc. announced earlier that it will be using WhereNet Locatable real-time locating system (RTLS) technology to automate both its inbound supply chain and outbound delivery chain.

The automaker partners with WhereNet Corp., a leader of wireless solutions, to strengthen continuous improvement initiative at its four-million square foot assembly plant in Canton, Mississippi. Said partnership is aimed at improving the North American vehicle production, labor productivity, and /www.autopartsdeal.com/nissan/parts.html”>auto parts Nissan quality.

“Amidst soaring demand and several new model introductions each year, the WhereNet system gives Nissan the agility to manage its inbound supply chain on a just-in-time basis to support flexible manufacturing processes. In addition, WhereNet assists on the outbound side by automating predelivery processes to bring more new vehicles to the marketplace faster,” said Chantal Polsonetti, vice president of manufacturing advisory services for ARC Advisory Group.

The Canton assembly plant of the automaker is capable of producing 400,000 vehicles annually. It assembles /www.autopartsdeal.com/nissan/parts.html”>Nissan Maxima auto parts and other significant vehicles of the automaker. Nissan Altima sedan, Armada and Infiniti QX56 SUVs, Quest minivan, and Titan full-size pickup truck are also produced in said plant.

“As one of the most efficient vehicle manufacturers in North America — according to the 2006 Harbour Report — Nissan is setting the standard for manufacturing by embracing new technologies like WhereNet to continuously improve processes,” said Tom Bacon, vice president of the automotive division for WhereNet. “WhereNet’s locatable active RFID system provides a critical foundation for flexible manufacturing as it enables automakers to manage multiple models with meticulous precision, ensuring that the right part is delivered to the assembly line just in time. In addition to helping manufacturers maintain a lean inbound supply chain, WhereNet also drives efficiency on the outbound side, accelerating delivery of new vehicles to dealers through our industry-first, automated VTMS solution.”

In the partnership with WhereNet, Nissan also expects to reduce labor cost, on-site dwell time for parts and vehicles, improve responsiveness to customers, and to produce high-quality vehicles as ensured by the system. This is because the system also immediately detects quality defects in vehicles hence; rework costs will be prevented.

Sarah Mcbride
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/nissan-chooses-wherenet-locatable-active-rfid-system-82712.html

Global competition continues to pressure manufacturers to operate more efficiently: produce more with less, at a high quality, delivered on time and value priced. One of the keys to successfully competing in today’s global arena is to focus on efficient management and optimization of the supply chain. Automated demand driven supply chain solutions provide significant benefits in managing production expense and optimizing profit margins in order to survive in the global market. In today’s global marketplace the competitive winners are those companies which can reliably and cost effectively supply their lines in a timely and continuous manner. Factory automation enables “Repeatability”, “Quality” and “Cost Management.” Digital Kanban solutions provide supply chains with real-time visibility and management capabilities to assist in enabling â€winning and sustaining market presence€. According to Datacraft Solutions’ CEO Stephen Parker, €œThe new kanban calculation functionality, “Daily Demand Import Interface” (DDII), allows for maximum competitiveness in a global supply chain.” Specific benefits include:

• Fewer human touch points reduce errors and eliminates difficult to manage paper trails.
• Resources are freed-up to focus on strategic buying opportunities versus costly tactical “order expediting” issues.
• Creates predictable supply chain arrival rates and general material flow. This translates to consistent production planning, cycle schedules and on-time customer deliveries.
• Reduces on-hand inventory and creates velocity in the quantity of “turns”.
• Visibility, reporting and notification capabilities provide essential time sensitive data that allows proactive management of potential issues instead of reactive management of actual issues.
• Accurate information results in accountability and provides opportunity for continuous improvement.

Datacraft Solutions (www.datacraftsolutions.com) delivers a revolutionary digital kanban process of automation solutions to lean manufacturers through a secure Internet gateway, eliminating the need to install and maintain a complex IT infrastructure. The company has experienced significant growth in the past twelve months by eliminating complicated, expensive, time-intensive software implementations as well as extensive training regiments and the need for internal support. The Datacraft Solutions’ demand driven supply chain digital kanban lean system allows customers access and fully utilize powerful lean benefits immediately for a low, predictable monthly fee. Services are scalable so manufacturers can design an appropriate digital kanban solution.

Technorati Tags: digital kanban

We wondered if the Mir:ror’s RFID stamps would help us in building a chicken coop by sticking a ztamp on a coffee cup and getting the laptop to read the instructions! No more daft tha tthe examples quoted here.

Mir:ror: A Glimpse Into The Future of an RFID World
Posted on ReadWriteWeb: 25 May 2009 03:55 AM PDT

Mir:ror is an Internet of Things app from the company Violet (follow on Twitter @violetOS). As the name suggests, it is literally a mirror - but an Internet-connected one which detects the objects you show it, triggering applications and multimedia content on your computer.

It works via RFID stamps, known as “ztamp:s” in the company’s terminology. These are colorful adhesive stamps that contain a relay chip. When the user waves a stamped object over the mir:ror, a pre-programmed action occurs. For example waving a stamped coffee mug over the mir:ror might trigger your computer to read the news aloud to you.

The ztamp:s also work with the company’s other internet-connected object: the Nabaztag, a cute robot rabbit that can deliver anything from ambient information through lights and sounds to verbal information - like when he reads your email or RSS feeds to you.

Cute, But Clunky

When you watch the videos, you can’t help but feel that the process is a little clunky. While the functionality is generally useful, you have to physically apply RFID stamps to objects, download and install the Mir:ror software on your computer, ‘program’ the stamps, and finally wave the objects over the “mirror” to trigger actions on your computer. Eventually RFID stamps will just be embedded automatically in objects by their manufacturers, little or no programming by the user will be required, and data will flow in a more automated fashion - not just to your computer but a variety of output devices.

Currently, even assuming you’ve set the mir:ror up already, you need to program the stamp, stick it onto the fish food container, and then when you use it bring it over to the mirror (which one assumes will be in a home office somewhere, not sitting conveniently next to the fish bowl) wave it, read the data on your computer screen, and finally go back and feed the fish. Too many manual steps.

In the hopefully not too distant future, the RFID chip will be embedded in the fish food container already. Even more futuristically, the data will be displayed either on the container or the fish bowl. Or at least your mobile phone.

For example one scenario in the first video was waving the fish food container over the mirror, so you can tell when the fish was last fed. This is actually quite a useful scneario - more useful than the one where the guy puts his coffee cup on the mir:ror to inform his Facebook friends that he’s drinking coffee. The funniest scenario on the website, I thought, was this one: “Keep track of every time you use your tools, take your medication, or pour out a glass of Vodka.” Technical writer having a little fun there?

But this is nit-picking with a future that hasn’t arrived yet. Mir:ror shows what we can expect from Internet-enabled objects in the near future. For now if you want this functionality, you’ll need to buy yourself a mir:ror and some ztamp:s - which you can do for USD$50. That bags you a mir:ror, 2 nano:ztag rabbits, and 3 ztamp:s. If you’ve already used one of Violet’s ‘Internet of Things’ products, let us know in the comments what you used the stamps for and your thoughts on them.

RFID, Radio Frequency Identification is a technology, which includes wireless data capture and transaction processing. Proximity (short range) and Vicinity (long range) are two major application areas where RFID technology is used. Track and trace applications are long range or vicinity applications. This technology provides additional functionality and benefits for product authentication. Access control applications are Short range or proximity type of applications.

AgileSense Technologies is focused on delivering innovative, high value RFID solutions assisting company’s track assets, people and documents. AgileSense provides robust and complete RFID solutions built on top of its extensible middleware/framework for Government , Healthcare , Manufacturing and Aerospace industries.

Asset Tracking:
Static or in-motion assets tracking or locating, like a healthcare facility, wheelchairs or IV pumps in, laptops in a corporation and servers in a data center, was not so easy task.

User can instantly determine the general location of tagged assets anywhere within the facility with the help of active RFID technology. “Control point” detection zones at strategic locations throughout the facility allow the user to define logical zones and monitor high traffic areas. Tagged assets moving through these control points provide instant location data.

Asset tracking applications will see an almost vertical growth curve in the coming years and the growth rate in this area will be much higher than the growth rate of general RFID market.

People Tracking:

People tracking system are used just as asset tracking system. Hospitals and jails are most general tracking required places.

Hospital uses RFID tags for tracking their special patients. In emergency patient and other essential equipment can easily track. It will be mainly very useful in mental care hospitals where doctors can track each and every activity of the patient. Hospitals also use these RFID tags for locating and tracking all the activities of the newly born babies.

The best use of the people tracking system will be in jails. It becomes an easy tracking system to track their inmates. Many jails of different US states like Michigan, California, Arizona are already using RFID-tracking systems to keep a close eye on jail inmates.

Document tracking:

This is most common problem. Availability of large amount of data and documents brings lots of problem in document management system. An RFID document-tracking system saves time and money by substantially reducing:
·Time spent searching for lost document
· The financial and legal impact associated with losing documents.

Government Library:
Many government libraries use barcode and electromagnetic strips to track various assets. RFID technology uses for reading these barcodes unlike the self-barcode reader RFID powered barcode reader can read multiple items simultaneously. This reduces queues and increases the number of customers using self-check, which in turn will reduce the staff necessary at the circulation desks.

Healthcare:
Patient safety is a big challenge of healthcare vertical. Reducing medication errors, meeting new standards, staff shortages, and reducing costs are the plus points of use of RFID solutions. RFID wristbands containing patient records and medication history address several of these concerns.

Manufacturing & Aerospace:
RFID technology provides an easy way to manage a huge and laborious manufacturing process. It offers all the benefits of small production parts to batch, processes and manufacturing. This type of process helps in better analysis, reduce and eliminate bottlenecks, reduced time in locating parts and products and production process based sensors can be installed to alert any anomalies.

Aerospace industry and Department of Defense have a lot to gain from RFID integration into their production and process lines. Boeing and airbus, according to the direction of US Federal Aviation Administration, make it mandatory to put an appropriate tracking mechanism to track the aircraft parts.

All these RFID solutions are available for you in under the roof of Agilesense. Find more about Rfid Applications on Agilesense.com, as your default RFID solution provider.

Diana
http://www.articlesbase.com/gps-articles/rfid-applications-59304.html