Illinois Water Resort Becomes RFID-Activated

Additionally, PDC is working with a number of third parties to deploy the resort's various plans for the wristbands. For instance, it is partnering with Micros Systems to install RFID readers at point-of-sale stations installed throughout the resort.

In addition, PDC is working with cStar Technologies to provide readers that will be installed in the resort's vending machines. This will enable visitors to purchase refreshments and snacks by waving their wristbands in front of the interrogators, which will then read the unique ID of each wristband and transmit it back to PDC software to post each transaction.

Salto Systems, meanwhile, is providing guestroom door locks with an integrated RFID reader that will allow the wristbands to be used as electronic keys. Guests will be able to utilize the wristbands to purchase access to lockers secured by Smarte Carte locks, and Ideal Software Systems will be provide RFID readers for the arcade token machines, as well as software to post token purchases to each guest's prefunded account.

To offer visitors a method of managing and purchasing vacation photos, PDC is working with Jackson Digital Imaging, a photography company specializing in amusement parks, to install an RFID-based photo-tracking system. "There will be readers at the top of certain waterslides or other attractions in the park," Foster explains. "So if a guest wants to have their photo taken during that ride, they'll just hold their wristband up to the reader as they enter the ride. Then, cameras mounted along the ride will take their picture during the ride. At then end of the day, the guests will go up to a sales booth, swipe the wristband again, and all of the photos taken of them throughout the days will appear on a screen, and they can select which ones they'd like to purchase."

Foster says Jackson Digital Imaging will manage the timing of the cameras to ensure that images captured are associated with the correct guest wristbands, and that these images are gathered into a single file and shown to the appropriate visitors at the booth.