Jun 21, 2007This article was originally published by RFID Update.
June 21, 2007—RTLS provider Identec announced a new tag that includes active UHF RFID and GPS technologies. GPS provides the tag location data, which is communicated by active RFID. If no Identec RFID reader is present, location data is stored until it can be forwarded.
An Identec spokesperson told RFID Update that the tag is being piloted but details will not be disclosed. The company is promoting the tag for asset management, personnel tracking, container tracking, and port applications.
Because the tag uses GPS, it does not require multiple RFID readers to calculate its location through triangulation or other methods. The tag can also provide location history data, rather than only reporting its present location.
The tag's GPS component provides location accuracy of ±3 meters, while the RFID provides a read range of up to 500 meters. GPS consumes more power than active RFID, so Identec included more battery power than it does on its standard tags, and estimates the combination tag can be powered for three to five years, depending on how it is used. The RFID tag operates in the 868-915 MHz UHF band, and a 433 MHz version compliant with the ISO 18000-7 standard is available.
Other systems have combined RFID and GPS technology (see RFID Pharma Cold Chain Monitoring Solution Launches for a recent example), but fully integrated hardware is less common. WhereNet announced a combination WiFi active RFID and GPS solution last week.
