Developer Day
Forum 4: Standardization & Research

The success on RAIN RFID / UHF RFID is based on standard that have been published already 4 years ago: GS1 EPC Gen2V2 and ISO/IEC 18000-63. So the question is addressed what will come next. Additionally, this session will cover an update on the situation of the European radio regulations. UHF RFID has been released for the 915-921 MHz Band in Europe, however, implementation got stuck. The question on a potential movement forward and the changes for a global future 900-930 MHz band will be discussed.

RFID is not a new technology, in fact it started way back in the early part of the last century, but adoption of RFID has been slow until now. Steve will look at the impact of standards on the adoption of the technology and the need for a brand to grow the market.

EU security guidelines require critical sectors such as Health, Energy, Transport, Finance, and telecom services to ensure cybersecurity. Cybersecurity for these sectors, which rely on systems with a lifetime of 20+ years, means controlling access to the network and data repositories. Authentication and authorisation technologies, such as RFID, are enabling technologies to make this cybersecurity leap. In addition, the presentation will also announce the 4,000,000€ inducement prize that the EU will award to the individual or organisation that can present the best seamless authentication solution – a perfect challenge for RFID experts!

“Printed electronics” has been a buzzword for almost a decade, with RFID applications as one of the headline endeavours. So are we getting any closer to seeing ubiquitously printed RFID tags and sensors in everyday objects? This presentation gives a status update of the applied research work at imec and Holst Centre and sheds light on latest achievements and opportunities in transferring new RFID technologies to the industry.

Scientists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a holographic imaging method that analyses the radiation of a WLAN transmitter and thus generates three-dimensional images of the environment. The process could be used, for example, in the context of Industry 4.0: This way, operators of industrial plants could automatically follow objects on their way through the factory hall in the future.

A passive RFID based sensor system with energy harvesting that measures mechanical stress in reinforcing steel was developed at the Centre for Signal Processing and Communications Engineering (ZSN) at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Switzerland. The monitoring of building constructions which are made of reinforced concrete for the most parts of the world will be of increasing significance in the future to determine the current condition, structural safety and fatigue behavior of the constructions.

The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) wants to detect corrosion of dilapidated bridges in its early stages by embedding component-integrated sensor technology in reinforced concrete and to also enable early reparations via predictive maintenance. In the “KonSens” project, both HF and UHF transponders are being tested. After a comprehensive test phase in the laboratory, the solution will be ready for market deployment and will be commercialised together with partners in the next 18 months.

The talk is based on comprehensive technology know-how and examines the performance, reach, challenges and advantages for applications – not only in theory, but also via the concrete example of a Fraunhofer IFF cooperation project with Leipzig / Halle Airport and an industrial partner.