Vehicle Maker Combines RFID and RTLS

MORGAN HILL, Calif., and CAMBRIDGE, U.K.—Alien Technology, a provider of UHF RFID products, and Ubisense, a supplier of real-time location systems, announced they have successfully field tested the use of combined RTLS/RFID systems.

The test site was an automotive production line, and the technology was used for component verification. To register exact part numbers of critical components, such as air bags, as they are installed in each car, Ubisense integrated standard Alien RFID readers into its location platform. Each assembly station recognizes the car by its vehicle identification number as it reaches the station. Through the RFID integration, the station is able to verify which component has been added. The company expects the combined technologies to reduce costs and error rates in the automotive application.

“Combining RFID technology and precision RTLS has the potential to revolutionize automotive production,” says Richard Green, CEO of Ubisense. “Our engineers have been working with leading automotive manufacturers to develop this comprehensive solution, and the feedback from our customers about the combination has been fantastic.”