Ford Thinks It Has the Right Tool for the Job: RFID

Each time the vehicle's engine starts, the interrogator automatically reads the tags of items placed in the bed or cargo hold, and the tracking software can be set to display a list of all tags read. Users can also assign specific tags to a group. If the interrogator picks up all tags within a group, the computer will show that group to be complete, and if any are missing, it will list the missing items. If it reads any tags not associated with that particular vehicle, it will list those (by tag number) as well. Drivers can also manually trigger the reader to scan the tags, which can be done any time the engine is running or the vehicle's accessory system is turned on.

According to Pleet, Ford developed the Tool Link application in response to feedback from owners of its work vehicles, who said they wanted a means for easily tracking the equipment they need to haul on a daily basis. "If someone goes to a job site and forgets an important tool, they'll loose valuable time," Pleet explains, "and in some cases they find that going to a nearby store and replacing the tool actually costs less than traveling to retrieve the tool."

The vehicle's in-dash computer's screen can display a list of all tagged items onboard.

Pleet believes tools will not likely be the only assets tagged. Users may also tag essential items such as notebooks carrying important contracts, and totes filled with nails or other fasteners. In addition, he expects that some individuals will use their vehicles and the Tool Link application for personal use. "On the weekends," he states, "we think professionals will also use the RFID tracking system for keeping track of recreational gear for sports, such as hunting or fishing."

Ford and DeWalt researched a number of auto-ID methods to develop Tool Link. A bar-code system was deemed too labor-intensive because it would have required drivers to manually scan the bar codes on tools, while active tags were considered too costly to make the system marketable. The companies found the passive EPC Gen 2 tags attractive from an ease-of-use and cost angle. Metals tend to deflect UHF signals, generally making passive UHF RFID tags difficult to read in metal-heavy environments, but the Tool Link application exploits the metal comprising the vehicles' bodies.

"The [vehicle frame] becomes a metal container in which the signals bounce around," says Ravi Pappu, cofounder and head of ThingMagic's Advanced Development Group. "That's why RFID works well in this application. The radiation is contained inside the vehicle."