RFID: Technologies and Application
Luigi Battezzati Ph.D.
Visiting Professor di Operations al Politecnico di Milano
Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID del Politecnico di Milano
Geneve, March, 16th 2005
RFID
RFID Applications:
Applications:
Tag
Tag
on
on product
product
Tag
Tag
on
on people
people
RFID
RFID &
& Logistics
Logistics
Trends
Trends and
and
Conclusion
Conclusion
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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RFID Applications
RFID technology is ready for changing the world
• Identify individual items
• Line of sight not required
• Store and modify information on transponder
• Stable in variety of conditions
• Read through most non-metals
• RFID transponder cost 50 cents today (5 cents
tomorrow ?)
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1940s
Radar refined and
used major World
War II effort
1950s
Early explorations
of RFID technology.
1948
Harry Stockman invents RFDI
with the publication of his paper
"Communication by Means of
Reflected Power"
1952
F.L. Vernon's
"Application of the microwave
homodyne"
1960s
Development of the
theory of RFID.
Start of applications
field trials.
1970s
Explosion of RFID
development.
Test of RFID
accelerate.
Early adopter
implementations of RFID
1973
Transponder system
and apparatus
1950s
D.B. Harris patents
"Radio transmission systems
with modulable passive
responder"
1977
Electronic
license
plate for
motor
vehicles
1980s
Commercial applications
of RFID enter
mainstream.
1985
Electronic
proximity
identification
system
1980
Electronic
identification
system
1990s
Emergence of standards.
RFID widely deployed.
RFID becomes a part of
everyday life.
Over 350 direct-reference patents
Electronic tag
identification
system
1982
Remote
passive
Electronic
identification
identification
system
system
Implant
Passive encoding
Apparatus and
microwave
method for an telemetry
system
transponder
electronic
identification,
Identification system actuation and
using coded passive recording system
transponders
2000’
HF ISO
standard:13,56 Mhz
1978
Identification system
using coded passive
transponders
1963- 1964
R.F. Harrington advances theory with
"Field measurements using active scatterers" and
"Theory of loaded scatterers"
Electronic detection
and identification
system
Passive transponder
apparatus for use in
an interrogator
responder system
2000s
RFID revolution begins
Worldwide Standards
Contact less payment
Auto-id and EPC
2000’
Calypso std for ticketing
1999-2003
Auto-id Center
at MIT for developing
EPC for FMCG
1984
Radar apparatus for
detecting and/or classifying
an agitated reflective target
2004
Near Field Communication
(NFC)
for integration between
Mobile phone and RFID
Betteryless, portable,
frequency divider useful as a
transponder of
electromagnetic radiation
Electronic identification
system with power inputoutput interlock and
increased capabilities
2005?
ISO and EPC: UHF
standard
Animal feeding and
monitoring system
1959
Friend or Foe (IFF) long-range transponder
system reaches breadboard demonstration stage
1975
Los Alamos Scientific Laboratories (LASL) releases its RFID
research to public sector; publishes "Short-range radio-telemetery for
electronic identification using modulated backscatter"
1966
Commercialization of EAS,
1-bit Electronic Article
Surveilance technology:
Checkpoint, Sersormatic
1976-1977
LASL spinoffs Indentronix and
Amtech
1982
Mikron founded
(later purchases
by Philips)
1975-1978
Large companies, e.g. Raytheon,
RCA, and Fairchild, develop electronic
identification systems
1979
1986
1982
First
molded-neck Glass-encased
implantable collar EID
injectible EID
RFID tags
1991
TI establishes TIRIS,
the first multinational
semiconductor
company to develop
and market RFID
Vast number of companies
enter RFID marketplace
Modern successful commercial applications
include
1993
1996
ISO EID City of L.A.
standard adopts pet
developed
tagging
1991
AAR adopts
RFID std
1994
All USA
railcars
equipped
with RFID
1992-1995
First RFID toll
Multi-protocol traffic control
collection system
implemented in Norway and toll collection systems
implemented in Texas,
Oklaoma, and Georgia
Supply Chain Management:Wal mart, Metro
War logistics: Gulf war of US Army
Transportation/Distribution Industrial
Security and Access Control
Animal Identification
Automated Library Systems
Checkpoint Systems
Toll Road Control
Healthcare
Digital Card Mail
Toys
Wide-scale
electronic toll
collection in US
* Tabella elaborata da Luigi Battezzati sulla base della RFID Timeline
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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RFID Applications
Several types of RFID transponder…
*Source SOFTWORK
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- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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RFID Applications
…antennas and readers*
Reader card
Proximity Reader
Long Range Reader
Portable Reader
Antenna Mid e Long Range
Mid Range Reader
RFID Gate
*Source SOFTWORK
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- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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RFID Applications
The overview of RFID costs * shows the component values…..
(IC) Chip
Antenna
Assembly
Case
Total
Cost
When ?
20 cents
5 cents
5 cents
20 cents
50 cents
2001
30 cents
2003 ?
2 cents
1 cent
1 cent
1 cent
5 cents
2005 ??
0.5 cents
0.1cent
0.1cent
0.3cent
1 cent
2010 ???
Plastic
Printed
*Source: Shoumen Datta MIT , 2003
Printed on Objects
0.1 cents ?
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- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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….but it does not show the component relevance
for reaching the best RFID performances
RFID Applications
• Chip:
• not critical component
• commodity
• Antenna:
• antenna –reader design is crucial
• strong customization for any application
• Assembly:
• the production quality is important
• production plant focused on automation
• Case:
• case design is critical due to environmental constraints
• strong customization for any application
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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RFID Applications
Basically RFID changes material flows but it impacts on the information
flows also: the MIS architectures could became really distributed and…
‰
‰
Centralized MIS architectures
‹
Item identification coupled with object (ex bar code)
‹
Information in Database of MIS coupled with item identification
‹
MIS reliability is necessary for capturing the data changes
Distributed MIS Architectures
‹ Item identification and transactions coupled with object (ex RFID
transponder with memory)
‹ Information in Database of MIS up dated when it's possible and useful
‹ MIS reliability is not necessary for capturing the data changes
…so you can saving money and improving MIS reliability in
the same time
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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RFID technology assessment is not enough for
taking decisions…
RFID Applications
‰ RFID researches are focused on
• Technology
• Individual applications
‰RFID applications
• automation of existing activities
• No impact on business processes re-design
• No benchmark with best practices
‰ But RFID is not a more intelligent bar code only
• It is able to change totally the existing processes
• It can improving dramatically the existing performances
• It will create an intelligent and distributed environment
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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RFID Applications
…concerning RFID implementation benefits
‰ So our focus are the business processes
• activity evaluation
• performance measurement
• re-design for capturing every RFID potential benefits
‰RFID taxonomy gives us
• a general RFID framework focused on business processes
• common characteristics for RFID Benefits of different industrial
sectors
• a possible benchmark with existing best practices
• a methodology for evaluating the cost/benefits of RFID.
‰ The object of RFID is first driver of our taxonomy
• product: major characteristics are supply chain management
and end user utilization
• people: major characteristics are the Human-RFID interaction
and Human Privacy Problem
Luigi Battezzati 2005
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The life’s cycle is the cluster rule for classifying
the RFID value for supply chain actors
RFID Applications
Manufacturers and Retailers
Consumer
s
Fresh Products:
Yogurt
Flowers
Best seller: CD,
Books
Newspapers
FMCG:
Grocery
Health & beauty
Hardware
Fashion Products:
Prêt à Porter
Personal Computer
Seasonal Durable
Goods
Durable Goods:
Cars
Home Appliances
Apparel basic
products
Short
life’s cycle
(utilisation)
Long
life’s cycle
(utilisation)
Short life’s cycle
Long life’s cycle
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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Human RFID interaction is not natural but it could be RFID Applications
helped by a tool friendly for everybody: the mobile phone
Mobile
Phone
Network
Interphace
SMS
Tag RF-ID
Tag RF-ID
Tag RF-ID
RFID
Reader
Tag RF-ID
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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Finally the privacy is more and more
critical for everybody
RFID Applications
•
The fear of total control is in the mind of everybody
•
RFID on people is really an other tool for controlling the people
behavior
•
But we are already controlled by different way:
– Credit card transaction
– Video cameras in the towns
– Other transaction activated electronically
•
The key problem is not the additional control by RFID but the power
for using and integrating the database of our transaction
•
In any case the transponder can be put in “sleeping mode” after sales
if the customer requested it
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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RFID
RFID Applications:
Applications:
Tag
Tag
on
on product
product
Tag
Tag
on
on people
people
RFID
RFID &
& Logistics
Logistics
Trends
Trends and
and
Conclusion
Conclusion
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
16
Several examples of applications and project
pilots on durable goods
Tag on Product
• Animal identification
– Pet
– Cows
– Dolphins
• Automotive
– Manufacturing: Ford, BMW, GM, Toyota etc
– Electronic Immobilisation: Immobiliser
• Textile and luxury
– Intelligent store of Prada
– Intelligent supply chain of Benetton
• Home appliances
– Electrolux:microwave oven, washing machine and refrigerator
– Bticino: My Home
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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The Auto-ID Center pushed the RFID
application for FMCG
•
Tag on Product
In 1999 the Auto-ID Center was founded at MIT. The Center, in
partnership with over 50 global organizations and companies is
working on the realization of an RFID network for FMCG
– developing new technologies that will lower the costs of the network
– defining standardized protocols and languages
– building of the infrastructure
This network will allow physical objects to communicate with each
other seamlessly through the Internet. This architecture will
– track every single manufactured item
– significantly reduce the need of human intervention
•
The Auto-ID Center is organizing Adoption Forums focusing on
specific industries whose goal is to create consensus, awareness,
and standards
Luigi Battezzati 2005
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Tag on Product
Consistent Global Identification
An Example of How GTIN Integration Works With the EPC
Illustrative Example (EAN-13): 12 34567 89012 8
EAN - 13
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Company Prefix
7
8
9
0
1
2
8
Item Reference Check Digit )
1 2 3 4 56 7 8 9 01 2 8 >
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
EPC:
3
8
1234567
Header EPC Manager Number
9
0
1
2
8
Remove
Check Digit
89012
0000000123456
Object Class Number
Serial Number
GTIN
Luigi Battezzati 2005
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Tag on Product
The EPC Network
• Inexpensive
tags
• Minimum data
on the tag
• Middleware
between
readers and
information
systems
• Information
stored on EPC
Information
Services, and
accessed
through Object
Name Service
Integration Layer
EPC Information
Service (PML)
ONS
Middleware
Enterprise
Applications
• ERP
• Warehouse
Management
Systems
• Inventory
Management
• Data Warehouse
• Merchandise
Management
• Store Systems
• Etc.
Readers
RFID
Tag
Tag
Tag
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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Tag on Product
Electromagnetic spectrum
Electric
Waves
Radio
Waves
Infra-red
Visible
Light
UltraViolet
X-Rays
Gamma
Rays
Cosmic
Rays
Radio Spectrum
9kHz
30kHz
300kHz
VLF
LF
MF
HF
Long
Wave
Medium
Wave
Short
Wave
The “RFID”
Frequencies
3000kHz
VLF
LF
MF
HF
125-134 kHz
30MHz
300MHz
VHF
UHF
Very Low Frequency
Low Frequency
Medium Frequency
High Frequency
13,56 Mhz
860-960
MHz
3000MHz
30GHz
SHF
VHF
UHF
SHF
EHF
300GHz
EHF
3000GHz
Not
designated
Very High Frequency
Ultra High Frequency
Super High Frequency
Extremely High Frequency
2,45 and 5,8 GHz
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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RFID
RFID Applications:
Applications:
Tag
Tag
on
on product
product
Tag
Tag
on
on people
people
RFID
RFID &
& Logistics
Logistics
Trends
Trends and
and
Conclusion
Conclusion
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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Tag on People
Several examples of applications and project pilots
• Transport
– Railways and metro in Japan
– Bus in Seoul (Korea)
– Public transports (Germany)
– Lufthansa Fidelity card
• Payments
– Exxon
– Toll Systems
• Health and Public Service
– Malaysia: identity card
– France: social security card
• Free time
– Chicago Marathon
– Ski pass
– Football
Luigi Battezzati 2005
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RFID is growing for people transport
Tag on People
The public transport around half public involves all over the
world million of people.
Also in this case the possibility to use different means with
different tickets makes the management more complex.
In Europe the project is developed Calypso that has adopted a
technology based on passive transponder RFID to 13,56
MHz according to the standard ISO 1545 that work with the
objective to be a contactless card for payments.
In this way it is possible not only to manage the price of the trip
in dynamic way but also to use the transponder for
purchasing from the automatic equipment that distribute
drinks or other products
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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Tag on People
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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RFID
RFID Applications:
Applications:
Tag
Tag
on
on product
product
Tag
Tag
on
on people
people
RFID
RFID &
& Logistics
Logistics
Trends
Trends and
and
Conclusion
Conclusion
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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The transport has been the first application of
transponder RFID
RFID & Logistics
• The aerial sector has always been to the state-of-the-art for the active transponders
– The first examples in the second world war
– The following development in the civil aviation
• The railway transport has followed quickly
– Transcore has labelled the totality of the means railway USA with technology UHF
– The European situation is more complex
• The principal countries have made non homogeneous choices
– The system Eurobalise S21 at the base of the European Train Control System (ETCS) with
inductive coupling to 27,115 MHz
– In every case it is necessary to distinguish the management of the handling from the
management of the maintenance
• Finally the transport on car or truck has been touched by the RFID
– The tolls systems are developed firstly in Americas by the Canadian highways and after in
Europe by Autostrade (Italian highways) with active technologies but passive
transponders are coming now
– The management of the truck traffic and its effects (usury of the roads, safety) has pushed
the German Government to the proposal of a revolutionary system that unites telephony
cellular GPS: may be the traditional toll systems are enough and less expensive.
Luigi Battezzati 2005
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Container management is the best application of
RFID in Logistics
RFID & Logistics
•
A container is reusable so the cost of the transponder is diluted in the time
•
The more important system of containers in the world is the International Container
Transport
– The sector of the international transports involves around 7 million containers.
– The manual recognition is complex, expensive and not without errors.
– From the end of the years '60 the containers are internationally identified according
to ISO 6346 that it foresees an alphanumeric code that identifies the owner and a
number of register of the container
•
Then a norm ISO has been created 10374 that it foresees to identify through the
container an active transponder read-only that you can read up to 13 meters distance
with 15 years of active life of the battery that it corresponds to the technical life of the
container
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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RFID & Logistics
The case management is already interesting for FMCG
• The most greater part of the applications of the transponders RFID indeed you realize in
the sector of the FMCG they currently concern containers or reusable systems of
transport, for instance:
– Marks&Spencer has a line of fresh products shipped by recyclable trays, on which
the 70% of the 120 million of wrappings that cross the supply chain travels. The use
of the RFID has allowed to reduce the costs and the time of crossing improving the
level of service.
– CHEP, in February 2002 has begun a project pilot in his center of distribution in
Florida, whose purpose is that to trace the handling of 250 thousand pallets. The
objectives of the project pilots are the followings: a best understanding of the
handling, an improvement of the measurement of the times of the working cycles and
the identification of the possible points of attention along the chain and the
integration of the information RFID in the systems ERP
– Wal-mart has asked to his principals for 100 suppliers to be compatible RFID within
January 2005 according to the followings principles
• Transponder on pallet and reusable containers only
• Standard EPC of the Auto-id of the MIT
– Metro is developping same RFID project in Europe
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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RFID
RFID Applications:
Applications:
Tag
Tag
on
on product
product
Tag
Tag
on
on people
people
RFID
RFID &
& Logistics
Logistics
Trends
Trends and
and
Conclusion
Conclusion
Luigi Battezzati 2005
- Osservatorio sulle applicazioni del RFID in Italia -
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Trends & Conclusions
Major trends on RFID technologies…
2005
2008
2007
2012
ƒ Passive Transponder
ƒCosts are reducing
ƒNew UHF standards
ƒEPC and ISO harmonization
ƒSilicon Technology is mature
ƒFeasibility of Polymer Technology
ƒ Passive Transponder
ƒPolymer Technology
diffusion for manufacturing
low cost transponder
ƒActive Transponder
ƒTechnology of Long life battery
ƒStandards“de facto”
ƒDesigning Tools for customized
MEMS
ƒActive Transponder
ƒLong life battery diffusion
ƒStandard ISO based on
Standard “de facto”
ƒCost reduction
Luigi Battezzati 2005
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Trends & Conclusions
…and the structure of demand and applications
2005
2007
2008
2010
ƒ Applications
ƒRe-usableTransponder
ƒDurable Goods
ƒLogistics
ƒSecurity
ƒServices
ƒ Applications
ƒFast Moving Consumer Goods at
item level
ƒBusiness to Consumer
ƒDistributed Intelligence
ƒDemand
ƒProject based
ƒBest practices development
ƒEducation, training and change
management
ƒDemand
ƒRFID is product on the shelf”
ƒStandard “plug and play”
ƒTransponder “autonomous”
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Trends & Conclusions
RFID is a building block of Distributed Intelligence
1853
1913
1969
2025
2061
Computer
Distributed
Nanotech
Intelligence
2081
Rapid
Adoption
Railway
Textile
1800
1771
1853
1825
1913
1886
Industrial Revolution
Auto
1969
1939
2005
1977
2025
1997
Introduction
of
Technology
Information Evolution
Source: Norman Poire MIT
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Conclusion
Trends & Conclusions
•
The tag is not another kind of bar code label but a real
killer application
•
The automatic identification and the distributed data
storage change the business processes
•
The value of application of RFID doesn't impact on
the same activities with the same weight.
•
RFID is a building block of distributed intelligence
Luigi Battezzati 2005
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