Handheld RFID for field asset tracking

05 May '08

4 min read

Also they know operators prefer not to have to carry a heavy, bulky device around with them for long periods of time. Airfield chose RFID for their solution because it presents a highly automated and efficient way of identifying assets in the field and recording asset information on site.

Airfield needed a user-friendly handheld reader that could read/ write tags. Arnaud Bellaire says he chose Tracient's Padl-R HF and Explore-R HF readers for their lightweight, compact form factor. “Bluetooth connectivity to a wide range of handheld devices was also important” he says “as we want customers to be able to leverage off their existing investments in handheld devices.”

How does the solution work? Airfield places ISO 14443A tags in 'i-bornes' which are resin moulds dug into the ground. The tags contain a unique number linked to the customer's asset record in their enterprise database. The tags also have up to 4K bytes memory space so that data can be recorded directly onto the i-borne. Upon finding the i-borne the operator scans the tag using either an Explore-R HF or a Padl-R HF reader.

The tag information is then transferred to the operator's smart phone via Bluetooth. The smart phone holds the customer's database and matches the tag ID with the asset. The operator can then write information such as time/ date of visit, operator's ID, status of asset, GPS location and other business related information into the keyboard or touch screen of their smart phone and transfer it back to the tag using the 'write' function in the RFID reader. Airfield's software, written for the smart phone, offers a simple interface for collecting data from the i-borne and writing data back into the tag's memory on the i-borne.

Airfield has found the tags in the i-bornes can be read quickly with 100% accuracy. Therefore asset identification is 100% accurate as is the transfer of information. Most importantly the operator is able to update the information on the tag, thereby ensuring real time asset information is available to whoever is in the field. Feedback from Faynot is Tracient's RFID readers are easy to understand and use, and the lightweight form factor is appreciated by operators having to carry the device for long periods of time.

Tracient Technologies