Alan Thorne

Assessing and optimizing the range of UHF RFID to enable real-world pervasive computing applications

Radio frequency identification (RFID) may be used to automatically detect, locate and/or identify objects, making it an ideal candidate for many pervasive computing applications. As RFID technology improves in terms of cost and performance, it is increasingly being explored in a variety of applications, ranging from eldercare through to the smart supply chain. However, while passive UHF RFID has many benefits over other RFID variants, reliable operation as the tag moves in the environment is inherently difficult to predict and can represent a significant challenge. In this paper, we present a novel and practical experimental method called attenuation-thresholding which may be used to characterize the operating range of such RFID systems. The results presented demonstrate the advantages of our method over the conventional read-rate approach. We also demonstrate a novel approach to collecting the measurements in range characterization experiments using robotic automation. Finally, we show how the application of attenuation-thresholding in combination with robotic automation can be used to optimize tag placement on an object. In addition to the clear relevance of this work to the many RFID-based pervasive computing applications reported in the literature and currently under development, it also has broad applicability in other RFID application domains. We conclude with a number of ideas for future extensions to this work.

A System to Test the Performance of RFID-Tagged Objects

A system is described which has been developed to assess how well RFID-tagged products can be read with various positionings of the tag on the product face. The system can search the entire product surface and provide a measure of tag performance in any location, allowing also for variation in the position of the reader antenna. Simulation of moving products is also possible. Results are shown

The impact of auto-ID technology in materials handling systems

Abstract Auto ID lechnology is a very powerful tool that will open the way for new method, and solutions for handling. In general Materials Handling refers to the necessary tasks to be perfomed in order to move load around the factory floor as well as to store and freight it. This paper highlights the impact that the introduction of Auto-ID technology will have in various industrial Materials Handling Systems. Current limitation s in these systems are analyzed and some examples are presented to out line the importance of Auto-ID in solving specific prohlems.

The role of AIDC technologies in product recovery ― an information quality perspective

The advent of automated identification and data capture technologies has resulted in the ability to enhance the quality of product information, that is, available to make decisions along the product lifecycle. One of the major impact areas of such a capability is in improving the effectiveness of decisions made during end-of-life product recovery. In this paper, we review some of the key technologies and systems that can be used for managing product information, and compare the capabilities of these technologies from an information quality perspective. We find that radio frequency identification seems to be ideally placed to satisfy most of the requirements posed by product recovery decision making.

Nonautonomous Elementary Net Systems and Their Application to Programmable Logic Control

In this paper, a novel approach to Petri net modeling of programmable logic controller (PLC) programs is presented. The modeling approach is a simple extension of elementary net systems, and a graphical design tool that supports the use of this modeling approach is provided. A key characteristic of the model is that the binary sensory inputs and binary actuation outputs of the PLC are explicitly represented. This leads to the following two improvements: outputs are unambiguous, and interaction patterns are more clearly represented in the graphical form. The use of this modeling approach produces programs that are simple, lightweight, and portable. The approach is demonstrated by applying it to the development of a control module for a MonTech Positioning Station.

Identifying the Requirements for Resilient Production Control Systems

Tighter supply chains create an increasing need for manufacturing organisations to become more flexible and more able to cope with disruptions drives the need for resilient production. Further, the interconnected nature of production environment and the complexities associated with the adoption of lean and process automation requires monitoring and control system to have increasing functionalities. Beyond simple monitoring and control, production systems are required to analyse information from disparate sources, detect abnormal deviations and then to react and cope with those deviations in a more effective manner. In this paper key requirements for resilient production systems are developed by establishing the links between production disruption and the required resilient capabilities. This then translates into requirements for resilient control and tracking in production systems.

Smart tracking to enable disturbance tolerant manufacturing through enhanced product intelligence

There is increasing need for manufacturing organisations to implement lean, just-in-time, make-to-order systems, mainly due to the cost pressures and varying customer preferences. This creates unexpected disturbances within the manufacturing systems, causing delays in delivery time. In order to quickly identify and react to disturbances, it is vital to capture real-time dynamic information related to the parts in production, resources, inventory levels and quality information. In many literatures, product intelligence achieves the fundamental requirements of managing disturbance. Current challenge, however, is that existing researches focused on developing a tracking system dealing with specific disturbance. In this paper, we present a systematic guideline for implementing such a system. The proposed guideline uses principles of product intelligence and combines them with the characteristics of disturbances and the associated information requirements. A case example is also presented to illustrate the developed concepts.

Investigating the Role of Information on Service Strategies Using Discrete Event Simulation

This chapter details the work on a demonstration to illustrate the impact of information in the context of complex engineering services. The demonstration is achieved via a simulation model which illustrates factors, such as different service contracts, different levels of product condition information required by and available to the service provider, other constraints on the service system and different service performance levels achieved. The contribution of this work is showing, through simulating several scenarios, how support services may be improved as a result of providing better product condition information feedback to the service provider. In addition, the model factors in a number of other variables which have a significant impact on the level of the service provided. Results from the simulation models are presented, and a discussion of areas for further work is also provided. This discussion includes some suggested next steps and future information-related questions which the model may seek to answer.

A Maturity Framework for Operational Resilience and Its Application to Production Control

This paper is concerned with resilience and its role in the operations of industrial processes. We refer here to operational resilience as the ability of an (industrial) operation to respond and recover in the face of unexpected or uncontrollable disruptions. The aims of this paper are to provide a common framework for examining the different challenges associated with assessing and improving operation resilience (b) Identify a set of levels for assessing operational resilience capabilities which can enable the positioning and comparison of initiatives taken to assess and improve it. (c) To illustrate the use of the operational resilience framework in the case of a laboratory forming and assembly operation.

RFID Technology and Applications: Reducing barriers to ID system adoption in the aerospace industry: the aerospace ID technologies program

© Cambridge University Press 2008. Introduction The five years from 2000 saw enormous developments in the way in which technologies such as RFID could be deployed in the consumer goods supply chain as illustrated in the preceding chapter (Ch. 9). While many of these developments were generic, it became increasingly clear that other sectors would need to make substantial adjustments were they to capitalize on the significant cost reductions and standards developments that had occurred. It was for this reason that the Auto ID Labs set up the Aerospace ID Programme. The aim of the programme was To remove barriers to widescale automated ID deployment in the aerospace sector through timely and effective R&D. The barriers to be examined ranged from issues of technical feasibility, via economic viability hurdles, to questions of operational viability – that is, whether solutions could survive a harsh range of operating conditions. These hurdles to be addressed (see Fig. 10.1) served as a sanity check for setting the research directions which are reported in Section 10.5. This chapter tells the story of the Aerospace ID Programme, its formation, its operations, and the results. Background As mentioned above, the background to the Aero ID Programme was the major development in the use of RFID in the consumer goods industry, led by the Auto ID Center and exemplified by the major initiative from Wal-Mart in 2004.