There are many applications where tags are currently in use. Manufacturers and distributors use hand-held radio frequency tagging to track stock, while shops and libraries use scanners around exits to prevent theft.
A new development of the last few years is that, for some applications, chips are added to these circuits – so-called RFID (Radio Frequency ID) tags. Each chip has a unique ID, allowing individual items of stock to be tracked reliably and conveniently. However, "one of the fundamental problems preventing the wider application of the technology was the restricted reliable read range of the antennas," says Peter Paijens, new business manager at Nedap N.V., the Dutch company leading the RF TAGGING project.
"Antennae technology is complicated by regulations that don't allow a high power output. This means that you are limited with reader power output but still have to cope with a 1 to 1.5m aisle width to accommodate customer-friendly exits and to allow room for people in wheelchairs," explains Paijens.
Together with their Austrian partner name, Nedap set out to extend the range of reader antennas without breaking power regulations through a programme of fundamental research into antennae technology that could then be applied in the marketplace.
According to Paijens, "the most important development was combining the anti-theft function with the scanning system. This is critical because if you increase the range it's very difficult to detect the signal reliably and this was really a problem in the industry." By increasing the range, stolen tagged items can be detected from further away.
The project team improved the technology of the tag 'readers' for anti-theft systems and the antennae technology for shelf management. In particular, they developed a hand-held reader with a data log function. This means the reader can be passed alongside a shelf stacked with tagged books or goods and it can automatically 'read' all the items on the shelf. This is important for manufacturers, as well as shops and libraries, as the tagging system allows them to trace and register their stock.
For Paijens, the key advantage of being involved in a EUREKA project was being able to do the research that his company needed. "Although we invest a high percentage of our turnover in R&D it's still difficult to do basic research to improve underlying technologies for a company of our size: developing really new applications and underlying technologies is high cost and high risk. That's why EUREKA projects are very helpful for us," he explains.
EUREKA is …
A European network for market-oriented R&D
- strengthening European competitiveness
- promoting innovation in market-oriented collaborative projects
- involving industry, research institutes and universities across Europe
- resulting in innovative products, processes and services.