Radio Frequency Identification Device Technology Research Articles

RFID AS AN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY DESIGNED TO IMPROVE BUSINESS PROCESSES IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

The RFID is a useful tool for effective management of organisations’ supply chain activities and competitive competencies. So, as the efficient functioning of the supply chain in any company contributes to the growth of its competitiveness and profitability, the meaning of supply chains takes on a new connotation in the changed conditions for managing business processes. The RFID system, as a technology that is implemented by more and more companies, today occupies a significant place in the agenda of every competitive company. Although this means that companies follow technological innovations, one of the reasons why this technology penetrates increasingly, mainly, is that these labels are becoming cheaper and cheaper, but the implementation of this type of technology is simpler, faster and easier to use, which, of course, is an advantage compared to other technological inventions. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize how the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) technology can improve business processes in the Supply Chain Management (SCM). Business processes, through digitalization, acquire a completely different dimension in the new virtual world, following the new conditions from a completely different perspective. This paper presents a brief explanation of Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) integration in Supply Chain Management using literature review and analytical research approach. For the purposes of this paper, a review was made and secondary data was found in order to identify the benefits of this type of technology and to emphasize the need for its use.

Modern innovative technologies in warehouse inventory management

The purpose of the research is to study the benefits and potential problems of using Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID) in the warehouse management and inventory supplychain management. Methodology. In the process of writing this article a few various types of the observation, timing, motional, inventory, and historical methods (describing present time limitations of the current inventory tracking system compare to the benefits and obstacles of the proposed new generation inventory management system) were used. To support our conclusion, we used data from the sampling research conducting on the premises of six distribution centers. Generalized results of this study helped us to create a comparison between deployment of the system with the use of just RFID tags, just barcodes, and a hybrid technology, were both types of the inventory markings were incorporated. Results. As it was predicted even before the research begins, the result of the study proved that use of the RFID technology significantly improved reliability of the inventory system by reducing number of out-ofstock (OOS) items, improved speed of the data collection and reduce amount and time of the manual work. It was also determined that RFID technology will help companies to better manage day-to-day inventory operations. The overall results suggested that use of the RFID technology will help companies to reduce fixed and variable costs associated with the daily operation of the inventory management system. However, it was also found that RFID system is not prone to the problems related to the breakage of the equipment and tags themselves. It is also worth to take into account a cost of RFID tags compares to the barcodes or two-dimensional barcodes. If a medium size company will decide to switch to the RFID technology completely, the cost of the switch might not overweight the saving the company will have. In this case a possible solution might be two-dimensional barcodes. Practical meaning. We hope that results of the study, our observations, and comments will help businesses to evaluate deployment of the RFID technology better, understand some unrecognized pro and cons of it and find possible ways to improve on the current systems by using advantages of multiple inventory solutions. Prospects for further research. Consideration should be given to a possible research of the security of the RFID technology, safety of the protocols it uses to collect and transmit data, and, finally, a possibility of the external intrusion and malicious data manipulations and the ways to prevent it.

Smart library book sorting application with intelligence computer vision technology

PurposeBook sorting system is one of specific application in smart library scenarios, and it now has been widely used in most libraries based on RFID (radio-frequency identification devices) technology. Book identification processing is one of the core parts of a book sorting system, and the efficiency and accuracy of book identification are extremely critical to all libraries. In this paper, the authors propose a new image recognition method to identify books in libraries based on barcode decoding together with deep learning optical character recognition (OCR) and describe its application in library book identification processing.Design/methodology/approachThe identification process relies on recognition of the images or videos of the book cover moving on a conveyor belt. Barcode is printed on or attached to the surface of each book. Deep learning OCR program is applied to improve the accuracy of recognition, especially when the barcode is blurred or faded. The approach the authors proposed is robust with high accuracy and good performance, even though input pictures are not in high resolution and the book covers are not always vertical.FindingsThe proposed method with deep learning OCR achieves best accuracy in different vertical, skewed and blurred image conditions.Research limitations/implicationsMethods that the authors proposed need to cooperate and practice in different book sorting machine.Social implicationsThe authors collected more than 500 books from a library. These photos display the cover of more than 100 randomly picked books with backgrounds in different colors, each of which has about five different pictures captured from variety angles. The proposed method combines traditional barcode identification algorithm with the authors’ modification to locate and deskew the image. And deep learning OCR is involved to enhance the accuracy when the barcode is blurred or partly faded. Book sorting system design based on this method will also be introduced.Originality/valueExperiment demonstrates that the accuracy of the proposed method is high in real-time test and achieves good accuracy even when the barcode is blurred. Deep learning is very effective in analyzing image content, and a corresponding series of methods have been formed in video content understanding, which can be a greater advantage and play a role in the application scene of intelligent library.

Usefulness of Radio Frequency Identification Device in Diagnosing Rotation of Motiva SmoothSilk Implants after Augmentation Mammoplasty.

Breast implant displacement has been described as a significant risk following augmentation mammoplasty. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the method of choice for diagnosing implant complications, but it has its limits in assessing correct implant position and displacement. Motiva SmoothSilk/SilkSurface® Implants (MSS) are the first to incorporate a radio frequency identification device (RFID), which produces an imaging artifact in MRI sequences. Given the frequency of breast augmentation procedures and the recent US Food and Drug Administration prospective trial involving SS with RFID, further analysis of implant stability and diagnostic imaging methods to evaluate implant positioning is necessary. The objective of this study was to assess the use of MRI with this new RFID-containing implant as a new tool to assess correct implant positioning. The authors performed this technique in 5 patients (10 implants) undergoing primary breast augmentation or revision surgery with MSS implants (255-385 cc, mean = 325 cc). The average area and volume of the artifact were 15.7 cm2 and 31.75 cm3, respectively. All cases presented satisfactory results, with 1 case of implant displacement. Our clinical and radiological outcome demonstrated that RFID technology is a useful tool for correct visualization of the implant position and diagnosis of complications such as slight displacements or rotation. To our knowledge, this is the first RFID breast implant that has been objectively evaluated for MRI issues.

Management and Control of Cattle Using Identification by RFID Technology

Here is presented a survey of the most common cattle identification methods comparing advantages, disadvantages and costs in the utilization of a new Identification model that uses tags with Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID). From there, a RFID system of evaluation is proposed for management automated. When the herd pass through a monitored portal, it can be obtained the immediate identification of each animal. Three tests were performed to verify the better position of the RFID reader in order to determine a setting for it and verify that the settings selected for the assembly of the system remains adequate. The use of this system gives the producer an electronic identification, facilitating the management, identification and control of the herd.

Safety Traceability System of Characteristic Food Based on RFID and EPC Internet of Things

In order to realize the safe traceability of the whole life cycle of the “Old Godmother Flavor Food”, the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Devices) technology is applied to the data acquisition of raw material purchasing, production processing, warehousing management, logistics and transportation. A kind of special food safety traceability network model was put forward based on RFID technology, and the RFID label EPC encoding rules are designed on “Old Godmother Flavor Food”; according to the demand analysis of characteristic food safety traceability system, the system design and implementation are carried out based on B/S and C/S architecture.

A Critical Study on RFID

Radio-Frequency Identification Device (RFID) uses radio waves to read and capture information stored on a tag, attached to an object. A tag can be read from several feet away and does not need to be within the direct line-of-sight of the reader to be tracked. A RFID system is made up of two parts: a tag or label and a reader. RFID tags are embedded with a transmitter and a receiver. It can automatically identify a person, a package or an item. Barcodes are really simple and can be easily replicated or counterfeited where as RFID is effective, cheap and secure. So RFID technology has many applications in military zone, inventory management, supply chain, product tracking, transportation, and logistics.

How business methods accompany technological innovations – a case study using semantic patent analysis and a novel informetric measure

Usually, the development of a technology interacts with the development of business methods, which are needed to enter the application fields. For some years now, it is possible to analyse their interaction as, next to technological innovations, business method innovations can be patented. To investigate this interplay, we select the case of radio frequency identification devices (RFID) – a technology that first emerged many years ago, but is still undergoing further development. We analyse approximately 37,000 patents related to RFID technology from the period between 1990 and 2014, differentiating between technological and business method patents, by means of bibliographic and semantic analyses, using one well established and one novel informetric measure. Contrary to our expectations, the results point to technological innovations that are not ensued but constantly accompanied by business methods. Furthermore, we identify two types of players, that is technology and application specialists. There is a clear distinction between these two types, though all companies of both types apply for technological as well as business method patents. As our semantic analysis reveals, RFID were successively introduced in their application fields between 1998 and 2008, starting with industrial applications, and then moving on to service applications. In future, technology managers should develop strategies based on the interaction between technological and business method patents, keeping in mind the early start and sequential development of different application fields.

Accuracy of patient's turnover time prediction using RFID technology in an academic ambulatory surgery center.

Patients flow in outpatient surgical unit is a major issue with regards to resource utilization, overall case load and patient satisfaction. An electronic Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) was used to document the overall time spent by the patients between their admission and discharge from the unit. The objective of this study was to evaluate how a RFID-based data collection system could provide an accurate prediction of the actual time for the patient to be discharged from the ambulatory surgical unit after surgery. This is an observational prospective evaluation carried out in an academic ambulatory surgery center (ASC). Data on length of stay at each step of the patient care, from admission to discharge, were recorded by a RFID device and analyzed according to the type of surgical procedure, the surgeon and the anesthetic technique. Based on these initial data (n = 1520), patients were scheduled in a sequential manner according to the expected duration of the previous case. The primary endpoint was the difference between actual and predicted time of discharge from the unit. A total of 414 consecutive patients were prospectively evaluated. One hundred seventy four patients (42%) were discharged at the predicted time ± 30 min. Only 24% were discharged behind predicted schedule. Using an automatic record of patient's length of stay would allow an accurate prediction of the discharge time according to the type of surgery, the surgeon and the anesthetic procedure.

Life on the Grid: Implanting Humans. A Look at the Ethical & Moral Considerations for Relative Legislation in Ireland Relating to Implanted RFID Tags.

This paper introduces the concept of Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) technology and its inevitable use in humans. Generally speaking, these technologies should theoretically enable us to be better and stronger human beings, but at what cost? Philosophers have countered that such alterations are unethical and/or immoral, yet it remains unclear on what basis such rights would rest. I propose that answers may come from an angle of rights issues. Therefore, I have principally focused on the notions of ‘bodily integrity’ through privacy issues, fundamental rights of the individual, and the collective social responsibility in Ireland. As a global community, we frequently waive rights in the quest for technological participation . It is because the synergy between man and machine is both equally a seductive and profitable enterprise, security of basic human rights becomes vital as the RFID technology takes on a revolutionary status. As acceptance grows, so too does its reliance through familial integration in every aspect of modern day life - thus it becomes an inevitability, and exerts an indirect pressure for conformity throughout society. Historically however, it has been the vulnerable classes who have had need of protection of their basic human rights and dignity through the law. For the purposes of this work, sexual offenders have been used to represent one vulnerable class in an effort to demonstrate how this technology could effectively lead us to balance the needs of the many against the needs of the few, in light of legislative measures. Research of this subject revealed however, that despite being in existence for over 50 years, RFID technology information has only recently been taken seriously by academics. I propose to bring some level of substance to RFID implantation as a real possibility, and how Ireland may have to look not just to the EU or Constitution for guidance, but ultimately to ourselves. I sought to demonstrate this using Ronald M. Dworkin’s final theory of justice, and implemented his normative focus of putting human dignity at the centre of what he constituted to be a good moral system. A basic requirement one would expect legislators to wholly regard when creating legislative justice is the consideration of both the moral and ethical issues this technology raises, and subsequently its consequences. Dworkin ultimately summed up this premise in Justice For Hedgehogs where he wrote, “Without dignity our lives are only blanks of duration. But if we manage to lead a good life well, we create something more. We write a subscript to our mortality. We make our lives tiny diamonds in the cosmic sands.”

System for the Management of Raw Materials Based on RFID Technology

The system presented in this article has been developed in order to solve several problems occurred during uploading raw materials in the storage tanks of a dry mix mortars plant and to keep an accurate material balance of raw materials introduced in the production process. The proposed approach was to implement a UHF, RFID (Ultra High Frequency, Radio Frequency Identification Device) system consisting of tags on the intake of the uploading pipes and outlets of the transportation trucks and a UHF, RFID Writer/Reader with four antennas in the proximity of uploading and to create an associate database for tracking the uploaded materials. The newly developed system has been successfully operationally tested in a dry mix mortar plant nearby Ploiesti.

RFID Based e-quality tracking in service-oriented manufacturing execution system

The method of acquiring the real-time data has influenced the implementation of the manufacturing execution system (MES). Accompanied with turning the MES into service-oriented manufacturing execution system (so-MES), real-time e-quality tracking (e-QT), in which real-time data are computed, has played more and more important roles in manufacturing. This paper presents an e-QT model through the study of real-time status data tracking and quality data collecting. An implementing architecture of the e-QT model is constructed on the basis of radio frequency identification devices (RFID) data-tracking network. In order to develop the e-QT system, some key enabling technologies, such as configuration, data collection, and data processing, etc, are studied. The relation schema between hardware is built for the RFID data-tracking network based on the configuration technique. Real-time data are sampled by using data collecting technique. Furthermore, real-time status and quality data in a shop-floor can be acquired in terms of using the real-time data computing method. Finally, a prototype system is developed and a running example is given so as to verify the feasibility of methods proposed in this paper. The proposed research provides effective e-quality tracking theoretical foundation through the use of RFID technology for the discrete manufacturing.

Analysis and Design of the Electronic Toll Collection System of Expressway Based on RFID

In order to speed up the vehicles through the expressway toll station and reduce traffic congestion, we analysed of the No-waiting ETC(Electronic Toll Collection System) of expressway unifying the ETC theory and the RFID(Radio Frequency Identification Devices) technology. Firstly, we analysed system's hierarchy architecture, then detailed analysed the basic component of system, and designed the workflow and composing of functional modules, finally, established the model of ETC system of expressway based on RFID, it provides more practical guidance scheme for expressway ETC system.

A secure and efficient inventory management system for disasters

An efficient humanitarian inventory control model and emergency logistics system plays a crucial role in maintaining reliable flow of vital supplies to the victims located in the shelters and minimizing the impacts of the unforeseen disruptions that can occur. This system should not only allow the efficient usage and distribution of emergency supplies but should also offer the ability to be integrated with emerging ITS technologies such as Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFIDs) for commodity tracking and logistics. This paper proposes a comprehensive methodology for the development of a humanitarian emergency management framework based on the real-time tracking of emergency supplies and demands through the use of RFID technology integrated with a multi-commodity stochastic humanitarian inventory management model (MC-SHIC). First, logistics and management aspects of RFID technologies in the context of the emergency disaster relief framework are discussed. Then, MC-SHIC model proposed to determine the optimal emergency inventory levels to prevent possible disruptions at the minimal cost is presented. The solution of the model with several sensitivity analyses obtained using the pLEPs algorithm is presented and discussed. Realizing that actual emergency inventory levels can deviate from optimal values during the actual disaster relief period due to the possible stochastic disruptions such as fluctuating demand for vital supplies in the shelters, a comprehensive on-line inventory control framework is proposed to minimize impacts of these unforeseen disruptions, or at least to address the problem at hand as fast as possible. Within this methodology, we obtain an approximation of the MC-SHIC model using a simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) based functional approximator, and compare the performance of these algorithms for solving the new unconstrained optimization problem. Finally, proposed model-free on-line control methodology is discussed using examples to understand the efficiency and practicality of both algorithms in terms of computational times and accuracy of results.

Pharmaceutical Counterfeiting and the RFID Technology Intervention

Both nationally and internationally, pharmaceutical counterfeiting has become a problem that is threatening economic stability and public health. The purpose of the present research study review was to analyze the scope and severity of pharmaceutical counterfeiting and to establish if the implantation of the Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) model can more efficiently be used within the pharmaceutical supply chain to reduce the problem counterfeit drugs impose on public health and international economic stability. Results indicated that implementing the RFID model for tracking drugs at the item level in the pharmaceutical supply chain has potential to alleviate the scope of the counterfeit drug problem. Recommendations for how the pharmaceutical industry may sooner adopt the RFID model are made.

Longevity of Radiofrequency Identification Device Microchips in Citrus Trees

Long-term identification of individual plants in the field is an important part of many types of research. In a previous report, we described methods for using implanted radiofrequency identification device (RFID) microchips to tag citrus trees for field research. This report provides an update on the RFID technology for use in plants, the effect of implanted chips on long-term plant growth, and survival of the microchips over time. The microchips were found to have no significant effect on plant health and growth, and most microchips continued to work well through the first 6 years after implantation. Implanted RFID microchips appear useful for long-term tagging of citrus and other woody plant species.

Improved recycling with life cycle information tagged to the product

Rising demand for product means that the recycling of materials is now more important than ever, saving a lot of energy embedded in materials, thus reducing CO 2 emissions. Providing relevant information can raise the recycling efficiency, which is too low at present. A Recycling Information Matrix (RIM) concentrating on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is suggested in order to facilitate and improve materials recycling. Each RIM focuses on a recycling target, and for each type of product a WEEE vector is constructed. The WEEE vector contains nine hexadecimal numbers where core-recycling info is stored. The WEEE vector can provide direct recycling information escorting the product. Another possibility is to individually identify every single product via RFID technology, giving the potential to look for relevant recycling information in databases. This offers the opportunity to add waste-handling information after the product has entered the market. This would be useful, for example, in tracking substances regarded as non-toxic at time of production which might later be proven to be the opposite. This paper is based on study visits at recycling facilities in Sweden and on many student EcoDesign projects including disassembly of consumer products. Research is done on a focused disassembly of dishwashers and on a polymer recycling experiment at a recycling plant for freezers and refrigerators. Possible escort memories are also studied, especially Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID).

Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID) as a Means of Evidence Tracking

Abstract Evidence tracking is central to the operation of forensic science laboratories. New technologies have the potential to revolutionize the entry, cataloging, and tracking of evidence. One of these technologies, radio frequency identification devices (RFID), has not been methodically tested for forensic use, either in the field or in the laboratory. This paper reports on a first-principle approach to testing RFID technology on evidence in various storage scenarios. The system yielded higher variance results than anticipated, from 0% read accuracy in some situations and nearly 100% in others. Research like this can demonstrate gaps in technology and application for forensic use.

RFID in the healthcare supply chain: usage and application

The purposes of this study are to first, determine the most efficient and cost effective portions of the healthcare supply chain in which radio frequency identification devices (RFID) can be implemented. Second, provide specific examples of RFID implementation and show how these business applications will add to the effectiveness of the healthcare supply chain. And third, to describe the current state of RFID technology and to give practical information for managers in the healthcare sector to make sound decisions about the possible implementation of RFID technology within their organizations. Healthcare industry literature was reviewed and examples of specific instances of RFID implementation were examined using an integrated simulation model developed with Excel, @Risk and Visio software tools. Analysis showed that the cost of implementing current RFID technology is too expensive for broad and sweeping implementation within the healthcare sector at this time. However, several example applications have been identified in which this technology can be effectively leveraged in a cost-effective way. This study shows that RFID technology has come a long way in the recent past and has potential to improve healthcare sector productivity and efficiency. Implementation by large companies such as Wal-mart has helped to make the technology become much more economical in its per unit cost as well as its supporting equipment and training costs. The originality of this study lies in the idea that few practical and pragmatic approaches have been taken within the academic field of study for the implementation of RFID into the healthcare supply chain. Much of the research has focused on specific companies or portions of the supply chain and not the entire supply chain. Also, many of the papers have discussed the future of the supply chain that is heavily dependent on advances in RFID technology. A few viable applications of how RFID technology can be implemented in the healthcare supply chain are presented and how the current state of technology limits the broad use and implementation of this technology in the healthcare industry.

Role of information technology and collaboration in reverse logistics supply chains

Closed-loop supply-chain channels are distribution systems that include activities supporting both the forward flow of goods from the manufacturer to the consumer as well as the reverse flow from the consumer to the manufacturer. In this paper, we identify the reverse logistics supply-chain channels, identify problems that companies face when they handle product returns along these channels and present the critical role that information technology and collaboration can play to mitigate many of the problems and deficiencies. A key element in reducing uncertainties in the different stages of the reverse channel of a supply chain is access to accurate and timely information on the status, location, and condition of products moving about in the supply chain. It is imperative that firms operating in the reverse supply-chain channels collaborate to integrate and share information in a timely fashion. We present a case study based on our interaction with two major consumer electronics companies and demonstrate how the use of radio frequency identification device technology in a warehousing operation can reduce the overall distribution costs for the organisation.