Arphid Watch: The Intelligent Sensor Network

Link: www.rfidwizards.com - RFID Middleware is Extinct. The Intelligent Sensor Network is Born..

RFID Middleware is Extinct. The Intelligent Sensor Network is Born.

Page 1 of 8 (((I just read all 8 pages; very spimey.)))

Written By Louis Sirico with brilliant contributions from Carlos Arteaga and Tony Woods

"RFID Middleware is not a long term solution".

It has taken me some time to muster the nerve to publicly proclaim what many experts in the RFID industry have whispered behind closed doors for years. This should be a little less surprising as several big name providers have recently dropped out of the market. Yet, now that I have published this bold announcement, I'm left with the enormous task of backing it up and describing the evolutionary process that has taken place.

"Let me start by clarifying what I mean by RFID middleware. Forrester Research defines RFID middleware as "Platforms for managing RFID data and routing it between tag readers or other auto identification devices and enterprise systems." What is unfortunate is that many RFID middleware applications were developed with a premise that the universe revolves around RFID data. These in-a-box applications were meant as quick fixes for encoding and printing a RFID label that's slapped on a pallet, and then reading tags as they pass through a portal.

"These applications are really Band-Aid-ware. If you have a small, pilot project fenced off in the corner of your warehouse they're fine to show a proof-of-concept, but once you enter the real world, RFID data must be integrated with all your other devices, not just routed to them. Once implementers tried to do more than a simple process, they started running into limitations that have slowed adoption of a technology that has incredible value when put into operation correctly.

"In order to understand why RFID middleware is dying off, the industry must change its perception of RFID altogether. Which leads to my second bold proclamation:

"A RFID reader is actually a sensor and it needs to be treated as one...."

(((This is the part I like best:)))

"Each sensor needs to be associated with a location. A sensor can be anywhere and its location can be stationary or moving. That’s why a Location Processing System or LPS is required. The location of a fixed position sensor can be determined simply by performing a look-up in the LPS (e.g., the bar code reader is at work area 12.)

"Here are some examples of how the location of a sensor can be determined: • Real time location systems (RTLS) that use Wi-Fi (802.11 based), Ultra-Wide Band (UWB), or similar;

• Global Positioning Systems (GPS);

• Imaging – processes digital images from cameras;

• Acoustic – systems that use sound waves;

• Location markers – associate a RFID tag with a position. When the tag is read, you know the approximate position of the RFID reader

"Each of these methods of location has there own Position Engine (PE) for determining location. Some intelligent sensors even have one or more location engines built-in.

"Since the methods of determining location can vary, the LPS should not only be able to use position engines, but also be able to automatically switch between them. For Example, at a facility with an 802.11 based RTLS inside and GPS outside. This allows you to combine the location information from different areas or facilities and monitor them in a central location. Besides, if the LPS cannot support different position engines, then how will it support future technologies yet to come?"