Back in April 2008, the Omni-ID Prox™ was second runner-up for the “Best in Show” Award at RFID Journal Live. We were all happy to be in the top 3 with our new product. But I immediately said to Tom, “Want to be in the top 3 again? Then we need to make a 100-foot tag.”

Long Range RFID Test Results

It’s over a year later, and the 100-foot RFID tag is now a reality. It’s an incredible breakthrough that we call the “Ultra”™. Before the Ultra, the longest range for passive tags had been about 60 feet. No RFID tag even approached a 100-foot read range. Watch the video to see the test results.

The reason 100 feet is such a big deal is that for the first time, a passive tag can work in applications previously reserved for semi passive and active tags. The annoying thing about active tags is the battery. I don’t mind the source of power, but what bothers me is the maintenance. They fail just when you need them most. I was one of the first engineers using those little solar-powered calculators, and it always had power. Passive tags are the same way – there is no battery to fail, they just work!

Real World Uses for 100 Foot Read Range Passive Tags

I live in New York, and we East-Coasters have to pay to use freeways. We all have an EZPass on our car, and in it is an active RFID tag. Passive tags have never worked for that application before, because a) cars are made of metal, and b) the signal just wasn’t strong enough to read from a tollbooth to a moving car.  In the current market, windshield passive tags are already taking over, and the Ultra can handle just about any traffic pattern or transport situation. Clearly there is a savings here not to mention the batteries that don’t have to be recycled.  Imagine, 100,000 people with EZPass changing their batteries every two years, in ten years that’s 500,000 batteries that have to be recycled!

RFID enthusiasts are always looking for better ways to track assets.  The Ultra passive tag is a cheaper and greener solution, and it won’t take long for this great technology to find all kinds of applications.   I can imagine – and I’ve discussed with customers – some interesting new uses for this long-range, battery-free tag, including:

• Use by airlines on Unit Load Containers to enable RFID asset tracking in air transport
• Use on parade floats – RFID signals would trigger special effects as the float passes an area
• Tracking of vehicle rental fleets – RFID ensures accurate vehicle return information
• Use on large equipment for asset tracking and maintenance records
• Use on containers for port entry identification
• Use on Public transit vehicles for real time tracking, buses, trains, taxis, etc.
• Use on power stations, transformers, and transmission line poles, as long range ID
• Use in shipyard and oil rig asset tracking systems

I’m sure you can think of many more uses that haven’t yet occurred to me!

Andre Coté

CTO and Vice President of Product Management