Are there any other firms that do so besides Visible Assets? —Scott ——— Dear Scott, Visible Assets developed the RuBee protocol, and while it is an IEEE standard (IEEE P1902.1, to be exact), no other company, to my knowledge, offers systems based on that protocol....
What ever became of this company? —Name withheld ——— Parelec, a Rocky Hill, N.J., manufacturer of Parmod brand conductive inks for RFID tag antennas and other direct printed circuits, merged in 2007 with Precision Systems, a supplier of real-time location systems...
Please specify some CPG manufacturers that are currently utilizing the technology. —Name withheld ——— Major consumer packaged goods companies, such as Unilever, Procter & Gamble and Kimberly Clark have largely pulled back their broad-based use of radio frequency...
If so, what is required to do so? —Name withheld ——— If by chipboard you mean particle board, or a wood-like product made from combining woodchips and sawdust with special resins, then the answer is yes, it is possible—but it would require a special tag. If you took...
Is there any instrument that is as simple to use as a metal detector, and that anyone can purchase and learn how to operate? —Name withheld ——— I'm unsure what you mean by "sound receptors." If you refer to a device that can detect an RFID transponder implanted within...
I'm particularly interested in the technology's use in Europe. —Name withheld ——— RFID works in libraries pretty much in the same way everywhere around the world. Most libraries apply passive 13.56 MHz RFID transponders to the inside cover or spine of each book. The...
Please explain the tree-walking protocol used when there is more than one tag within a read field. —Ken ——— Dear Ken, One challenge with RFID systems involves ensuring that a reader talks to only one tag at a time when there are multiple tags within a read field. If...
A new report from Retail Systems Research indicates that greater investment in stores yields a diminishing return, and that the real opportunity is on omni-channel fulfillment—which is precisely why retailers should be investing in RFID.
Please advise as to how my company might utilize the technology in this field. —Name withheld ——— Currently, mobile-banking standards for radio frequency identification are still being created. Near Field Communication (NFC) technology is being included in many new...
What would be required to accomplish this goal using RFID readers at a yard's exit gate? —Name withheld ——— It would be challenging to read tags on equipment in an ambulance as it drives in or out of a yard, as an ambulance cabin is composed of metal, through which...
An article suggests that the technology can improve food safety by providing better tracking of potentially tainted goods.
Can the technology secure items in an area that large? —Name withheld ——— Passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) tags can be read from 20 or 30 feet away when mounted properly on an asset (certain products composed of metal, or containing high water content, require...