The following are news announcements made during the past week by the following organizations:
Trimble, ThingMagic;
FinnCode;
ams, STMicroelectronics;
Estimote; the Mayo Clinic, and Gentag.
Trimble’s RFID-enabled CrewSight Automates Personnel Management on Construction Sites
Trimble‘s ThingMagic division has introduced CrewSight, an automated jobsite-management system designed to help general contractors rapidly and accurately manage field personnel on a construction site. CrewSight leverages data from ThingMagic RFID-enabled sensors to provide insight into jobsite operations, and to help construction contractors operate more effectively and intelligently and improve productivity, safety and security.
CrewSight builds on a custom design that Trimble created two years ago for DPR Construction to help the general contractor manage building safety and access at the construction site for the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center at Mission Bay (see DPR Construction Uses RFID Building-Security Solution). That solution leveraged ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID readers and ID cards, as well as Trimble’s cloud-based server integrated with building information modeling (BIM) software, to help the general contractor ensure that all individuals could be safely evacuated during an emergency, prevent site access by unauthorized personnel, and control access to clean or completed spaces on the project.
According to Trimble, CrewSight is an end-to-end, cloud-based offering for general contractors that can be easily and cost-effectively deployed. As labor costs on construction sites continue to make up almost 40 percent of total project costs, the company reports, it is essential for general contractors and project managers to correlate productivity with actual hours of worker time. Knowing which workers are onsite, and when, allows project managers to validate project costs for labor, provide proof of compliance and maintain safety on the site. In addition, even general contractors that have implemented systems to control the entry and exit of workers on the jobsite face challenges, since entering the data from these systems is not typically automated.
The CrewSight system automates the management of workers entering or leaving a site, allowing the tighter tracking of progress, in order to pinpoint discrepancies and identify opportunities to optimize work processes. Serving as the central hub of a complete labor-management solution, CrewSight captures data from ThingMagic RFID readers automatically, without the need for human intervention. Contractors can maintain tighter access of their sites, ensuring that only workers who are verified can enter. They can also more easily monitor that the proper number of employees is onsite for each phase of the project, to keep schedules on time and budgets in line. Moreover, Trimble reports, the system provides a safety element, in case personnel need to be located in the event of an emergency. Site supervisors can receive alerts on their smartphones or tablets in real time, which can be critical if there is a dangerous situation on the jobsite.
The CrewSight Web-based application enables contractors to collect, view, analyze and store workers’ data. The information is stored in a database that can be used to verify employees’ authorization and record the number of hours worked, and the data can also be sorted and analyzed for a variety of uses by the contractor, such as meeting compliance regulations. CrewSight provides up-to-date data that is accessible from any Web-enabled device, according to Trimble, and will be integrated with existing scheduling software, such as Trimble’s popular Prolog project-management and scheduling software, to enhance the implementation with real-time field data.
The end-to-end system also includes the contractor’s choice of RFID devices that collect information for worker entry and exit on the jobsite. Depending on the types of devices chosen for each site, contractors have the options of using guard-assisted worker check-in, worker self-check-in using a device called a VIS Box, or hard access using a turnstile or vehicle gates. This access-control functionality prevents unauthorized workers from being on the site or in certain areas without the proper credentials. In addition, CrewSight allows contractors to monitor every zone of the site and supports monitoring multiple sites from the same user interface.
According to Mark Sawyer, the general manager of Trimble Buildings’ general contractor and construction management (GC/CM) division, CrewSight can help construction managers control labor costs by providing accurate reporting on the actual number of hours that contractors and subs work, thereby ensuring that projects stay on track. The planned integration with scheduling software, such as Trimble Prolog, will provide a more complete picture of the site, the workers and the entire project, he adds.
Trimble CrewSight is available now in North America via the BuildingPoint network and other authorized distribution partners of Trimble GC/CM solutions.
FinnCode Brings NFC-enabled Added-Value to Italian Luxury Shoes, Bags
Finnish software company FinnCode has announced that Italian luxury fashion designer Francesca Castagnacci is using its Near Field Communication (NFC) solution to authenticate and register its collection of women’s handbags and shoes. A Smartrac Midas NFC tag, made with an NXP Semiconductors NTAG 213 IC, is embedded in each product; the tag is encoded with a unique ID number that is encrypted, according to Jari Salmela, Finncode’s CTO. The tags are embedded in each handbag or pair of shoes, typically just below or by the logo, says Jacopo Romagnoli, Francesca Castagnacci’s chief operation officer and director.
The tags can only be read using a free FinnCode Authentication smartphone app that the customer is instructed to download and install (the app, available at the Google play and iTunes websites, runs on NFC-enabled Android and iOS devices). Once the app is up and running, the customer can then tap the phone near the tag of the bag or shoes, in order to capture that tag’s unique ID number. Reading the tag directs the FinnCode app to display data about the product—where and when it was created—thereby proving its authenticity. The customer’s registration information (captured upon the product’s receipt) is visible, and the customer can input or make changes to the data, which typically includes his or her name and contact information.
The solution also lets Francesca Castagnacci provide its customers with a variety of digital content via the app, including product details, brand news and other information. “Francesca Castagnacci has a complex and dynamic imaginary world, mixed with our extraordinary process of production that involves some of the best handcrafted [goods] in Tuscany,” Romagnoli says. “We love to share the story of what you bought. We want to involve you in our new ideas and, if you want, to be informed before anyone else about new products and happenings.”
FinnCode has recently established a sales department in Florence, Italy. The NFC solutions provider had already been working with other companies, including Aki Choklat, a designer of shoes and accessories, which began selling a bag in July 2014 that links a digital record about that bag with the physical product itself (see Aki Choklat Brings Authentication and Personalization to Luxury Bags), and Giulietti, a Finnish company that imports and resells Giulietti accordions in Europe. Giulietti reported, in November 2013, that it was planning to use FinnCode’s technology to track the sale and servicing of the instruments (see NFC RFID Technology Puts the Squeeze on Accordion Thieves, Counterfeiters).
Ams, STMicroelectronics Launch Secure NFC Mobile-Payment Solution
Austrian IC and sensor manufacturer ams and Swiss semiconductor company STMicroelectronics have announced a Near Field Communication (NFC) system reference design that they say will make contactless transactions involving smartphones, smart watches and other wearable devices easier, more secure and more reliable. The reference design combines ams’ new active tag analog front-end (AFE) chip with STMicroelectonics’ NFC controller and secure element. It features advanced analog circuitry that the two companies claim can deliver excellent NFC performance even in devices with room for only a tiny antenna that is typically adjacent to metal surfaces or shielded by a user’s hand, and is mounted in a location hostile to RF transmissions.
The reference design combines ams’ new AS39230 AFE chip, which features the company’s boostedNFC technology, with STMicroelectronics’ ST54E System-in-Package (SIP) that contains the ST21NFCC controller and the ST33G1M2 32-bit secure microcontroller for Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC), embedded Secure Element, and microSD-card applications. It is intended to make a consumer’s experience of contactless transactions easy, quick and completely reliable, the companies explain, whether for payments at shops, ticketing in metro or urban mass-transit infrastructure, or access control. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will also benefit from worldwide certification, including for Common Criteria, EMVCo, GlobalPlatform, and Visa, MasterCard, American Express and PBOC1, they report.
The boostedNFC technology works to overcome the limitations of passive load modulation, basically allowing a complete contactless credit card to be put onto an ultra-small form factor within a challenging environment. Approximately two years ago, ams added the technology to its AS3922 chip, an AFE chip that enables the operation of NFC RFID functionality on micro-SD, micro-SIM, SIM and other space-constrained carrier devices (see Ams Announces Analog Front-End Chip for Secure Operation of NFC-enabled Payment Transactions). Boosting the response to the reader allows for tag functionality in applications with a lot of RF interference in the field, or that require a ultra-small form-factor antenna.
The new AS39230 boosts the antenna’s signal, increasing the signal strength up to 10 times compared with conventional passive load modulation (PLM) methods of transmitting a signal from an NFC tag, card or card emulator to an NFC reader. In space-constrained designs, the antenna’s size can thus be reduced by as much as 20 times, down to 100 square millimeters (0.16 square inch) or less, while maintaining the same signal strength. The AS39230 allows for the device’s metal casing to be used as an antenna, reducing the board space required for the NFC antenna and eliminating its related costs.
The ST33G1M2 Secure Element, which supports the latest Global Platform GP2.2 OS and NXP Semiconductors‘ complete Mifare portfolio (including Mifare Classic and Mifare DESFire), is suitable for banking and digital-access applications. Based on ARM‘s SecurCore SC300 32-bit RISC core, the ST33G1M2 provides Common Criteria-certified security features, together with a large and flexible embedded eFLASH—which, according to the two companies, allows OEMs and service providers to plan for future implementations with proven Trusted Service Management (TSM) infrastructure compatibility.
The AS39230 and ST54E support all important NFC standards governing card emulation, including ISO 14443 type A/B, FeliCa at data rates of up to 424 kilobits per second, active peer-to-peer bit rates of 212 kilobits per second and ISO 18092 communication at up to 424 kilobits per second.
The AS39230 NFC analog front end is now available in production volumes from ams, while the ST54E is available for sampling from STMicroelectronics. Pricing, reference designs, datasheets and an evaluation board are available on request from the appropriate supplier.
Estimote Adds Beacon-Sharing to Its Cloud Platform
Estimote, a developer of beacons that employ Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)—also known as Bluetooth Smart—technology, has added a new feature to its Estimote Cloud platform: Infrastructure Sharing. With the new Infrastructure Sharing feature, companies can move beyond using their beacons with their own apps and open up the network to third-party apps.
According to the company, an airport could, for example, deploy a network of Estimote beacons within its main hall and departures area. With Infrastructure Sharing, the airport could authorize an airline’s app to access beacons within the vicinity of Gate 1, and another airline’s app to access beacons at a different gate. Passengers using an app of the airline with which they’re traveling will be notified when their gate opens, and then be guided to the proper place.
Infrastructure Sharing is designed to open up new revenue channels for brick-and-mortar businesses deploying Bluetooth beacons, the company reports, by letting them create a beacon network that select third-party apps can securely access. According to Estimote, the feature will create another layer of opportunities for microlocation, indoor navigation or proximity marketing, while making it possible to monetize physical space.
Estimote beacons and stickers are tiny proximity computers that have an ARM processor and memory, and utilize Bluetooth Smart technology to transmit unique ID numbers that trigger actions on smartphones or other BLE-enabled devices. Powered by coin batteries, they can be strategically placed virtually anywhere within a building or on the outside grounds. Through the tiny radio signals broadcasted by the beacons, smart devices within range can receive those signals, and compatible installed apps can then respond. Estimote’s software developer’s kit (SDK) and Cloud platform are used to grant the apps access to the metadata, including beacon ownership, object type and precise location. They also enable security and other services on top of the beacons.
Mayo Clinic, Gentag Partner to Develop Wireless Sensors to Treat Obesity, Diabetes
The Mayo Clinic and Gentag have announced an agreement to develop wireless, wearable biosensors that leverage Near Field Communication (NFC) and other technologies to help fight obesity and diabetes. According to the two organizations, the system will allow researchers to monitor movement and develop treatments for obesity and related conditions.
The Mayo Clinic’s Micro-Miniature Transceiver chip will be combined with Gentag’s tag technology, and will be integrated under license to create a new type of communication chip that combining NFC, body area network (BAN), long-range wireless communication and geolocation technologies. The resulting wearable patch sensors will be the size of a small bandage, according to the two organizations, and will be designed to be painless and disposable. The sensors will communicate with a closed-loop diabetes-management system compatible with cell phones. James Levine, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist and obesity researcher, says his organization hopes that the patch biosensors will prove to be a game-changer, by helping to reduce the incidence of global obesity and diabetes. He expects the sensors will be accurate and inexpensive, and says they can be integrated into the care people receive.
A joint intellectual property (IP) agreement with the Mayo Clinic made the research and development of this tool possible, the organizations report. Gentag signed a patent-pooling agreement with the clinic for the management of IP related to wearable patch sensor and wireless communication technologies. Under the terms of the agreement, certain patent rights and technologies of both the Mayo Clinic and Gentag will be combined and commercialized.
The two firms will collaborate with third parties under license to bring the Mayo Clinic’s expertise in medicine and clinical practices to the public, by the development of the next generation of wearable skin patch technologies from Gentag in the areas of diabetes and obesity management. More than 50 issued patents and technologies are being offered for licensing under the agreement.
Gentag has been trying to develop and commercialize a diabetes-related sensor since at least 2006 (see Gentag Foresees Cell Phones as Thermometers, Glucose Readers, RFID News Roundup: Gentag, Frank Sammeroff Ltd. Partner to Produce RFID-enabled Skin Patches and Researchers Finish Work on Needle-free Glucose Tester).