What took them so long? Alien has designed an RFID reader that can track several RFID tags at once. According to this Cnet report, the new reader is designed for high volume applications, such as baggage sorting or military cargo. Engadget has a picture of the reader hardware.
As I mentioned on 8 March 2008, there are RFID systems that can track multiple tags at the same time. Alien’s system also lets operators adjust signal strength. This can restrict the reception area to a few millimeters, or expand it to 30 meters. This kind of flexibility is essential in field operations, where visibility may be poor. Can’t have soldiers running into a hot zone to wave a PDA at a pallet!
The readers and software will be demonstrated in Las Vegas at the RFID Journal Live trade show in Las Vegas. The show starts today. Come to think of it, the Venetian would be a great place to implement RFID.
Tags: hardware, las-vegas, RFID
