Radio Frequency Identification Technology for Logistics, Tagging and EPC

Korea reveals RFID-enabled bicycle sharing programs at technology expo

Friday, October 9, 2009

This year’s RFID/USN Korea, the country’s annual expo of RFID technology, featured two proposed bicycle sharing programs for “greener” transportation in major Korean cities.

The first system was developed by Victek, and involves three components: bikes with built in monitoring systems, rental kiosks where citizens can rent bikes via credit card, cell phone, or member ID card, and electronic holding fixtures where the bikes are stored and the monitoring systems are charged.


The monitoring systems installed in the bikes help government officials keep track of the bicycles, as well as record various information for the benefit of the user, including distance traveled, traveling time, and amount of calories burned.

The city of Daejeon is currently testing the system with 200 bicycles, and plans to expand it in the coming months. Additionally, the Korean government is showing its support of bicycle transportation by building more bicycle roads.

The other system displayed at the expo was developed by Initus, which operates on the same principle (monitoring systems included), but instead uses a cable for storing and securing the bicycles, potentially minimizing the space and construction needed for installation.

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Chicago is set to roll out the first phase of its new bicycle sharing program, according to NBC Chicago.

The new system, Chicago B-cycle, allows residents to rent bikes by the hour at various stations throughout the city using a credit card or contactless membership card. According to NBC, similar systems are already operating in Denver and Minneapolis.

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The City Council of San Antonio has approved an RFID-enabled bike sharing, rental and tour program, according to a local news report. B-Cycle, who also supplied a similar system in Denver, will supply the system that consists of locking bike racks and a kiosk similar to an ATM, which enables users to purchase a short-term membership.

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The University of Incheon in South Korea has automated its library operations with RaceTrack high-frequency RFID tags from UPM Raflatac coupled with a library automation solution from ECO.

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In order to share information about various deployments and uses of PIV credentials there will be an information sharing day for federal officials on Aug. 4. The purpose of the ICAM Information Sharing Day is to provide an forum for agencies to understand and share information related to implementation activities being taken by early adopters of ICAM programs.

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LEGIC is partnering with Italy-based Comunicare Group to launch Bicincittà, a contacltess smart card-based bicycle sharing program.

Once registered, Bicincittà users receive their own contactless LEGIC card, granting them 24/7 access to bikes stored in throughout the city at cycle-park stations.

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Denver recently launched the B-cycle project, providing commuters and tourists with a means of zero-emission transportation. The city has 500 bikes, with more than 50 RFID-enabled B-stations throughout the city, according to a release from SourceJuice.

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