Microsoft plans to use a large RFID network to track attendees of its Microsoft Tech Ed conference in Sydney, Australia, next month. With RFID-enabled nametags issued to up to 5,500 people over the course of the four-day event, the system is expected to be one of the largest non-traditional RFID networks ever assembled in Australia.
Breeze Consulting is creating the network, which will consist of 118 antennas, 56 fixed readers, and 20 Kenetics Windows mobile-based readers. The hardware will enable the name tags to be scanned at all 34 entrances to the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.
When a delegate enters the exhibition hall, their scanned tag will trigger an animated avatar on large screens. The avatars will be motion-controlled, using a program developed with Expression Blend, Silverlight 2 and the Windows Presentation Foundation, making them move across the screen and disappear into the distance of the hall. The screens will also display sponsor logos and a breakdown of attendees in each room by job title, but no other personal information about the tag-bearers.
The network is intended to help delegates see when rooms are filling up, aid networking between delegates, and show off the possibilities of RFID technology and Microsoft applications. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/rfidnews-4.gif)
