Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

RFID-based location-sensing system for safety management

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Personal and Ubiquitous Computing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper focuses on an active radio frequency identification (RFID)-based location-sensing system for enhancing the worker’s safety under a cargo crane in a steel industry. For the purpose, the time of flight (TOF)-based distance sensing RFID system with location trilateration algorithm is developed to monitor workers’ position. However, RF signal is easily affected by the surrounding environmental conditions, it is difficult to obtain reliable positional information under the restricted environmental conditions of the crane. For the problem, this paper introduces two new improvements. Firstly, circular polarization antennas are developed, which is highly effective for reducing an error in the distance estimation by transceiving RF signals with less dependance on its orientation. Secondly, a three-dimensional location-sensing algorithm that facilitates a distance and position filter is developed for enhancing accuracy by reducing a large error in the estimated distance. The field experimental results performed in the POSCO steel company demonstrate that the developed system is capable of finding target positions with significantly improved accuracy and effectiveness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Se S, Lowe DG, Little JJ (2005) Vision based global localization and mapping for mobile robots. IEEE Trans Robotics 364–375

  2. Focken D, Stiefelhagen R (2002) Towards vision-based 3-D people tracking in a smart room. Fourth IEEE international conference on multimodal interfaces, pp 400–405

  3. Kim JW, Choi KS, Choi BD, Ko SJ (2002) Real time vision-based people counting system for the security door, international conference on Circuits/Systems Computer Communications, pp 1416–1419

  4. Finkenzeller K (2003) RFID Handbook: fundamentals and applications in contactless smart cards and identification. Wiley, London, pp 112–114

  5. Ni LM, Liu Y, Lau YC, Patil AP (2004) LANDMARC: indoor location sensing using active RFID. ACM Wireless Networks 10(6):701–710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Hightower J, Borriello G (2001) Location systems for ubiquitous computing. IEEE Comput Mag 34(8):57–66

    Google Scholar 

  7. Patwari N, Ash JN, Kyperountas S, Hero AO III, Moses RL, Correal NS (2005) Locating the nodes: cooperative localization in wireless sensor networks, signal processing magazine. IEEE 22(4):54–69

    Google Scholar 

  8. Lanzisera S, Lin D, Pister K (2006) RF Time of flight ranging for wireless sensor network localization, Workshop on intelligent solutions in embedded systems

  9. Zetik R, Sachs J, Thoma R (2004) UWB localization—active and passive approach, Implementation and measurement technology conference, Italy

  10. Stelios MA, Nick AD, Effie MT, Dimitris KM, Thomopoulos SC (2008) An indoor localization platform for ambient assisted living using UWB. In: Proceedings of the 6th international conference on advances in mobile computing and multimedia, pp 178–182

  11. Kim JE, Kang J, Kim D, Ko Y, Kim J (2007) IEEE 802.15.4a CSS-based localization system for wireless sensor networks. Mobile Adhoc sensor system, pp 1–3

  12. Pinkney J, Sesay A, Nichols S, Behin R (1999) A robust high-speed indoor wireless communications system using Chirp spread spectrum. Candian J Electrical Comput Eng 121–125

  13. Alves FA, Albuquerque MRL, Silva SG, d’Assuncao AG (2005) Efficient ray-tracing method for indoor propagation prediction. In: Proceedings of SBMO/IEEE MTT-S International conference on microwave and optoelectronics, pp 435–438

  14. Tsang L, Kong JA (2001) Scattering of electromagnetic waves: advanced topics. Wiley, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  15. Stutzman WL, Thiele GA (1999) Antenna theory and design. Wiley, London, pp 28–31

    Google Scholar 

  16. Brookner E (1998) Tracking and kalman filtering made easy. Willey, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The research was supported by the Converging Research Center Program through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2010K001051).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sogang Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Sogang University, 1 Shinsu-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 121-742, Republic of Korea

    Kwangsoo Kim & Myungsik Kim

Authors
  1. Kwangsoo Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Myungsik Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Myungsik Kim.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kim, K., Kim, M. RFID-based location-sensing system for safety management. Pers Ubiquit Comput 16, 235–243 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00779-011-0394-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00779-011-0394-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation