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Release date: September 2000
Wireless RF development at Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory first entered the wireless radio-frequency identification field when it collaborated with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 1993 to develop a tag for controlling clothing inventory at department stores. Department store owners needed a way to inventory clothes without opening the box. The result of this collaboration was a tiny RF tag that could be embedded in clothing. The Department of Energy and America's textile industry supported this research through the American Textile Partnership, or AMTEX.
Since then, Pacific Northwest engineers have applied their expertise in wireless RF technology to help military agencies better manage inventory of weapons and high-value items, such as night vision goggles, while reducing overhead costs. The Department of Defense has spent several million dollars on nearly a dozen RF tag projects at Pacific Northwest.
A passive radio-frequency tag can be built into an item, such as an M15 rifle, for inventory tracking.
(Image available for downloading.)
Pacific Northwest's engineers have expanded the potential uses for wireless RF technology by making advances in three key areas:
Range: The information stored on semi-passive tags developed at Pacific Northwest can be read from more than 600 feet away—a substantial gain over commercially available tags.
Commands: The RF tags can be programmed to follow commands, such as turning a system on or off.
Location: The interrogator, an electronic handheld device, can communicate with dozens of RF tags in a simultaneous manner as well as identify the exact location of individual tags to within 5 inches.
Passive tags
Inventorying weapons: Pacific Northwest engineers developed a system for the U.S. Army's Logistics Integration Agency that tracks small weapons while stored in arms rooms or used in the field. They designed these RF tags to be mounted securely inside an M-16 rifle and to store a unique identification code for each weapon. An interrogator communicates with each tag and either reads the serial number or programs new data into the tag, such as information on the person assigned to a rifle. Using this system, military personnel can inventory up to 40 weapons each second.
A radio-frequency tag encapsulated in rubber may replace conventional dog tags worn by soldiers and serve as an electronic medical chart.
(Image available for downloading.)
RF dog tags for sailors: Traditional metal dog tags worn by sailors could be replaced with an electronic version developed for the Office of Naval Research. Pacific Northwest engineers designed high-tech dog tags using RF tags to store information on a sailor's identity, allergies and blood type. An interrogator used by medical corpsmen reads information stored on each tag. Based on that information, the corpsmen can appropriately treat injuries or hasten medical transport. The RF tag and interrogator are called the Tactical Medical Coordination System. A large field test of this system is planned for Fall 2000.
Tracking honeybees: Pacific Northwest engineers fitted honeybees with RF tags the size of a grain of rice as part of a feasibility project to evaluate if honeybees could be trained to locate landmines, illegal drugs or nuclear materials. The RF tags allowed scientists to track bees' movement into and out of a hive. Scientists at the University of Montana trained the honeybees to seek out chemicals found in landmines with support from the Defense department's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Semi-passive tags
Security control: An RF tag system developed for the DOD's Defense Threat Reduction Agency tracks expensive items, such as night vision goggles. The prototype system tracks the location of a pair of goggles and records the identity of the person using each pair. The system also serves as a theft deterrent. If the goggles are removed from a warehouse without the proper authorization, an interrogator beams a command to an RF tag installed in the goggles to disable them. Or, if goggles are left behind on a training mission, a helicopter flying at 600 feet could locate them on the ground.
Tags, electronics and software developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory tracked bees' movement in and out of man-made hives.
(Image available to download from PictureThis.)
Active tags
Monitoring aircraft brake pads: Military pilots often must brake heavily when landing, but a new RF tag system, when fully developed, will allow pilots and ground crews to know when brakes approach dangerous temperatures. Pacific Northwest engineers coupled a temperature sensor with an RF tag, which collects temperature readings and communicates that data to the ground crew. The system was designed for the Air Force and tested at Hill Air Force Base near Ogden, Utah.
Analyzing nuclear plant performance: A prototype system comprised of RF tags and distributed sensors under development at Pacific Northwest would provide real-time online monitoring of a nuclear power plant's performance. The predictive engineering system monitors for vibration, biofouling, erosion and corrosion, which could lead to inefficient performance or safety hazards. This system was developed for DOE's Nuclear Energy Research Initiative.
Monitoring fuel degradation: Solid rocket motor propellant can degrade when stored in certain conditions of temperature and humidity. An RF tag sensor system developed by Pacific Northwest engineers has been installed and tested on solid rocket fuel for missiles to monitor the state of the fuel and environmental conditions, such as temperature. A battery-powered RF tag continually records readings and sends an alert signal to operators when conditions reach a potentially harmful state. This research is being conducted for the Department of Defense.