Radio Frequency Identification Technology for Logistics, Tagging and EPC

GPS, Cellular, RFID for Livestock

Wednesday, February 2, 2005
And in an era of mad cow disease and the threat of agroterrorism, federal agriculture regulators want to be able to locate within 48 hours %u2014 or sooner %u2014 the whereabouts of each of the nation’s 100 million-plus head of cattle. Enter a Kansas proposal that would combine GPS, cellular and radio frequency technologies to track cattle as they are in transit. It is one of the ideas the U.S. Department of Agriculture is testing and one that could shape the nation’s emerging animal identification system. “People were excited about the Kansas proposal,” said Amy Spillman, spokeswoman for the department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. “They wanted to integrate the ability to track cattle as it came on and off the trucks.”

Editors note - Cows without privacy that know exactly where they are while on the phone. [end] 

The Smart Card Alliance Transportation Council has published a white paper examining how the transit industry can best make use of NFC technology.

“One of the major challenges facing transit agencies today is how to capitalize on the ever-growing popularity of mobile phones with a solid mobile strategy,” said Transportation Council Chairman Craig Roberts. “This white paper builds on the knowledge base developed in earlier white papers to foster a greater understanding of NFC technology, explain its role in the transit industry, and shed light on key issues facing the transit industry in developing a mobile strategy.”

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The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) has begun using RFID technology to identify and collect data on all cattle that come into Agribition.

According to Leader-Post, a total of 1,800 cattle in Agribition were each issued a radio frequency distribution ear tag chip. The RFID tag links unique animal data such as age, weight and other vital statistics.

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It looks like the New Zealand government is finally moving forward with its plan to deploy an electronic national livestock identification system, according to Beef Central.

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Texas Instruments (TI) introduced a pair of encapsulated RFID mini-transponders designed for applications in animal tagging and asset tracking.

The 12mm TRPGR30TGC and TRPGP40TGC mini-transponders were developed to enable users a battery-free solution for embedding RFID tags into smaller objects across a broader range of applications. These transponders come ready-to-use and are 100 percent backwards compatible with all of TI’s RFID software and readers including power modules, control modules and micro readers.

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India transport operator Ahmedabad Janmarg Ltd. has launched a smart transit card for commuters traveling on the region’s bus system, according to ISO&Agent.

The agency began a six-month trial and August 2010 followed by a soft and silent launch in January 2012. The card is available now for a nonrefundable fee of 25 rupees ($.50 US cents) and allows commuters to travel for up to 100 minutes on one bus, for the minimum fare.

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Atmel Corp. extended its RFID family with the launch of a low-frequency (LF) one-time programmable (OTP) transponder IC optimized for animal identification systems for pets, wildlife or livestock.

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