10/12/2010 - RFID tagging 'aids stock control'
The inventors of a new electronic tagging system have revealed it could improve shop inventory and security systems without invading customers' privacy.
Friendly Technologies (FTL) has created a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag which allows shopkeepers to quickly determine if any items are missing from their store and when they disappeared.
Unlike other RFID systems, the Hertfordshire-based firm's tags do not store information about the item itself, so off-the-shelf RFID readers cannot be used to work out what products are in a person's shopping bag.
"Our technology is cheaper, simpler and comes with all the benefits of RFID but without the security issues," FTL managing director Humberto Morán told The Engineer.
The system works by effectively taking a register of the shop's inventory, scanning 600 times per second and asking the tag to confirm whether or not it is a specific product rather than asking it to provide details.
Each tag consists of a tiny silicon chip and an antenna to receive and transmit signals and power. They cost around 7p each to manufacture and can be detected within a radius of four miles.
Because the system is constantly scanning the items, if a product is thought to be missing there will be a record of the exact time it disappeared from the shelves.
The technology can also be connected to a computer screen which automatically detects when a shopper has picked a product up off the shelf and provides information about the item , such as cost and availability.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
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