Integral RFID offers a number of RFID systems for use in Wilderness Asset Tracking, supporting both animal and equipment identification. Small lightweight tags in custom-designed housings can be applied externally or subdermally to animals, or attached to equipment. Reader hardware can be mounted to helicopters or fixed wing aircraft for tracking assets over large areas. Reader Sentry stations can be deployed to remotely monitor smaller choke-points (approx. 100 meters wide) and to report traffic via cellular email or text messages.

Technology

The technology used in all systems is a long-range active RFID system running at 303MHz or 433Mhz. The tags periodically transmit a signal containing their pre-programmed unique identifier. This unique ID code is transmitted every 10 seconds if the tag is stationary, or every 2 seconds if the tag is moving. The tag signal is picked up by a small RFID reader that decodes the information and returns it to a host PC or PDA.

The range of the tag-reader communication is dependent on the choice of antenna installed at the reader site and the environment around the tag:

Medium Range Whip Antenna

The reader is shipped with a small 140mm whip antenna – this provides approximately a 100-meter omni-directional read-range around the reader.

Long Range Yagi Antenna

An optional Yagi antenna can be used instead of the whip antenna – this 320mm long device results in a directional read-range of up to 1600 meters in open space.

Tags

The tags come in two form-factors:

Key Fob Tag

The Key Fob Tag is a small flat rectangle, measuring 45mm x 20mm x 5mm uncased. Our standard casing measures 63mm x 30mm x 10mm and includes a hole in it suitable for tying the tag to an asset.

Ear Tag

The Ear Tag is a cubic form factor tag that measures 20mm x 20mm x 13mm uncased. We encase this in a non-allergenic polymer hemisphere suitable for ear tagging. The finished ear tag measures 44mm in diameter, has a depth of 20mm, and a stem of 20mm long, 8mm diameter for threading through an earlobe.

Readers

The readers are encased in a small metallic box measuring 120mm x 125mm x 35 mm. They operate at a frequency of 303Mhz or 433MHz. The readers require a 9v DC power supply and connect to a PC or PDA via built-in Ethernet or RS232 connectivity.

Deployment

RFID systems are typically deployed in one of two ways:

Long Range Asset Tracking

Equipment is usually mounted to a helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft or jeep. It is powered by a car-battery cigarette adaptor and controlled by custom software on a PDA. This system typically uses the long-range directional Yagi antenna to seek and identify assets with up to 1600 meter range.

Stand-Alone Sentry Station

Equipment is housed in a small weatherproof box and powered by a car-battery or regular power supply. The system is equipped with whip antennas giving an omni-directional 100m range. As tags pass in and out of this range, data is logged either to a PDA for later collection, or sent immediately via cellular text messaging.

Case Studies

The following lists some of our current customers and their usage scenarios

Alaska Dept of Fish and Game are using ear tags for Grizzly Bear tracking. Readers are attached to fixed-wing aircraft.

The United States Geological Survey are using ear tags for Polar Bear tracking. Readers are attached to helicopters.

University of Alaska, Fairbanks are using ear tags for Polar Bear tracking. Readers are attached to helicopters.

BeeAlert Inc are using Remote Sentry devices to deter theft of Beehives – tags are monitored 24/7 and alerts sent out if tags (aka beehives) are moved outside normal business hours.

The Marine Mammal Center in San Francisco are using ear tags in custom cases to track Harbor Seal populations.

 

Pricing

Please contact us for pricing.