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Case Study: RFID Applications for Digital Campus (Part 2)

 

Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Toni Anwar.Chua Teong Kiat.
by Toni Anwar and Chua Teong Kiat

The digital campus project focuses on the design and implementation of RFID system, which will serve as a guideline for upgrading the Universiti of Sains Malaysia network systems in the future. There are five locations taken into consideration in the RFID design and implementation, which are the library, the health unit (clinic), the entrance/guard house, the hostel, the school and lecture halls.

1. Library

The RFID applications for the library include:
a. Entrance access control - The door will only unlock if it detects correct IDs.
b. Visitors Counter - Automatic counter system to count the number of daily library visitors
c. Anti-theft - Alert system to alarm the librarians if there is any book taken from the library without registration and daily books check-in/out system.
d. Book Location Checking System - Using portable reader, we can set the book's ID we are looking for and set the read coverage to find out the books' location.

Diagram of RFID technology use in library.

Currently USM Engineering Campus library has already had a contactless smart card reader at its counter. When a student library card is pointed near the reader, the reader will get the library ID and transfer it to a host PC to access the database and check loaned book status. At the same time, the profile of the student is also updated.

The benefits from RFID implementation are the followings:
1.Enhance library security
2.Replace the guard's work for checking out book status and counting daily visitors
3.Prevent missing books
4.Find lost books inside library

2. Health Unit (Clinic)

The RFID application for health unit at USM is for medicine monitoring and management. The Auto-ID system will update medicine’s data at an interval of time, to make sure their availability, expiry date and location. It can alert the nurse to process an application form and order a new medicine if there is any shortage of medicine or if the medicine is expired. This system will update the medicine data into database automatically and improve the management system of medicine at health unit. We eliminate the patient tracking application because it is an unnecessary application for health unit in our campus.

Diagram of RFID technology use in Health Unit Clinic.

Currently, USM Engineering Campus Health Unit has already had a contactless smart card reader at its counter. When a student card is pointed near the reader, the reader will get the student's IC number, transfer the information to host PC, access to student database, then check or update student's clinic record.

The benefit from RFID implementation is improved operations and saving time. Accurate and automatic data capture coupled with intelligent control leads to better security of medicine control.

3. Guard House

The RFID applications for the entrance gate at USM include:
a. Entrance access control - The gate will only unlock if it detects a correct tag ID.
b. Asset/Item tracking and tracing – Anti-theft detects whether an asset or item has an authorization to be brought out of campus. If it is not, several actions, such as guard alert, alarm activation and gate/barrier closing can be performed.
c. Vehicle verification – Unique ID for all students', staff' and visitors' vehicle. If there is any unknown vehicle, the guard can do necessary actions. If any vehicle parks at a forbidden area, the guard can record time, date and location of violation and the owner will get a fine.

Currently, USM Engineering Campus has two formal gates, one main gate and one side gate opened for entrance. There are 2 barriers with contactless smart card readers at the main gate, which function from 10:30 pm until 6:30am. Anyone crossing the barriers needs to confirm ID with a reader. The system replaces manual registration for student or staff at USM with auto-ID data recording to the database.

The benefits from RFID implementation are the followings:
1. Enhance campus security
2. Improve operation and management system for guard
3. Anti-theft, reduce criminal
4. Trace unknown vehicle
5. Fine the vehicle rules breaker effectively

4. School, DU (Main Hall) and DK (Lecture Hall)

At school or lab, we can also implement RFID technology to track and trace assets or equipment for a room or lab, to prevent theft or missing equipment, and improve the registration process.

5. Others
For USM hostel, six engineering schools, DU (Main Hall), and DK (Lecture Hall), RFID application like door lock system and auto attendance record system can be implemented using a contactless smart card system. But it is not a cost-effective application that can benefit much from RFID technology. As a result, we eliminate the RFID application on these locations.

In spite of the current excitement, RFID may not be suitable for everyone. There are some hurdles we need to consider seriously before embarking on a real implementation of RFID network system for digital campus, including:

* Price
* Complexity
* Existing solutions
* Advantages
* Applicability

The current state of RFID technology based on a collection of comments and observations is:
* Confusing
* Lacking of expertise
* Still in learning state

Toni Anwar is the Coordinator for Software Systems Engineering Programme at the Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering (TGGS), King Mongkut Institute Technology North Bangkok (KMITNB), Bangkok, Thailand.

Teong-Keat Chua is a Design Verification Engineer at Spansion Penang Design Center, Malaysia.



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