Air Freight RFID Test

That was me pushing a cart-load of RFID-tagged boxes past RFID receiver antennas at the warehouse of a major air freight forwarder company at the airport.

A group of us professors and students are collaborating with the company to develop and test a RFID system for monitoring and tracking air cargo through the warehouse. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. It’s function is similar to that of bar codes but it is electronic rather than optical. Part of its advantage is that it can be detected by receivers from a distance and out of sight.

The Hong Kong airport has actually been testing the use of RFID to track checked-in luggage for a couple of years. If you have passed through the airport recently, you may have noticed a small (about 1 inch by 3 inches) rectangular tag, with wires embedded in it but no markings, on your checked-in luggage. That was it.

Today we went to their warhouse at the airport to test some systems that we have developed over the past year. It was a success and we will continue to collaborate with them over the coming year.

Would you believe me if I say that the photo was purposely blurry? I didn't take that photo, obviously.