Several companies have begun offering solutions leveraging Bluebird‘s HF550X Touch Mobile Computer to expand radio frequency identification (RFID) applications in retail and healthcare, for which a mobile and small-form-factor reader is necessary. The device, first released in May 2022, was a finalist in the Best New Product category for this year’s RFID Journal Awards, presented at RFID Journal LIVE! 2023. It enables companies to include an RFID-reading feature using a smartphone-like device for purposes such as patient tracking or floor inventory management.
End users can keep the same smartphone appearance and functionality when using the device as an RFID reader, according to Hellen Yi, Bluebird’s marketing group leader. The device was designed for inventory management, healthcare patient tracking, point-of-sale (POS) payments and other applications for which RFID technology has been less commonly deployed due to the inconvenience of installing a reader or connecting it to a smartphone, Bluebird reports.
Voice, Data and RFID Connectivity
Traditionally, businesses have been able to leverage NFC or HF RFID functionality in smartphones, which have built-in readers that can capture 13.56 MHz transmissions via HF (compliant with the ISO 15693 standard) and via NFC (compliant with ISO 14443). However, because phones do not have UHF RFID readers built in, users have needed to acquire dedicated UHF RFID handheld readers if their employees read such tags.
Bluebird’s HF550X Touch Mobile Computer
Handheld readers can be connected to a phone with a sled and a Bluetooth connection, but this can be costly and cumbersome for workers who must keep the device on hand or in a pocket. As a solution, Yi says, the HF550X is an Android 10-based mobile computer and reader with a built-in antenna, making it functional for data and voice communications. There are two versions: one with 4 gigabytes of RAM, the other with 32 gigabytes for applications requiring more memory. It also comes with a 1D and 2D barcode scanner.
Size makes the difference in this case, the company indicates, because the HF550X has a slim form factor compared to existing handheld reading devices, and it can be handled or placed inside a pocket while still having the kind of intelligence found in a phone. It measures 154.4 millimeters (6.08 inches) by 74.4 millimeters (2.9 inches) and is 11.65 millimeters (0.49 inch) in thickness, with a weight of 205 grams (7.2 ounces) and a display size of 5.45 inches. Because of its small form factor, and thus its small antenna, the UHF reader has a limited read range of up to 40 centimeters (15.7 inches).
Retailers are using the new product to count inventory, or to seek specific products when customers request them. The device can use a Geiger counter mode to locate tagged items, as long as they are within a range of 40 centimeters or less. The same device is often utilized in stores to complete sales transactions, so that customers do not need to stand in line. When the reader is deployed for a POS transaction, users can tap it near each product tag, linking the product label ID to the specific item being purchased. Once the transaction has been completed, the inventory software can be automatically updated.
Tracking Patients in Healthcare
Hellen Yi
In the healthcare market, the HF550X is being used for patient tracking. Some hospitals are providing patients with wristbands that come with NFC or RFID tags built in, with each bracelet linked to a particular patient’s identity and medical records in the hospital’s software. Healthcare providers can use the HF550X reader to capture that patient’s information without requiring physical contact. In that way, for instance, a nurse could identify patients without disturbing them if they were sleeping, and without requiring them to pull back their sleeve and present their wristband for scanning. “This solves a customer pain point” for hospitals, Yi says.
The previous version of this device, known as the VX500, is currently being used for patient tracking at such hospitals as the Samsung Medical Center and Seoul National University Hospital. Some companies using that prior version have indicated to Bluebird that they plan to upgrade their technology to the latest iteration. The HF550X differs from the VX500, Yi notes, by including a built-in antenna for a slimmer and sleeker form factor, with a more ergonomic grip.
According to Yi, the device is priced lower than competitive reading devices available in the market, which would require both a handheld reader and a phone or mobile computer. “One less device means a much lower cost in implementation,” she states. In addition, the reader can be sold with a Bluebird software developer’s kit (SDK) for those seeking a software-based solution to support the collected read data.
Key Takeaways:
- A new smartphone reader from Bluebird incorporates UHF and 13.56 MHz HF RFID, as well as NFC, Wi-Fi, cellular and barcode scanning, in a small handheld device.
- The device is being used for reading patient wristbands at hospitals, as well as for inventory management at stores.