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RFID systems optimisation through the use of a new RFID network planning algorithm to support the design of receiving gates

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Abstract

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a widespread technology used in several different industries. One of its common use cases in logistics is the automation of goods receipt. RFID gates are often deployed, to automatically detect tagged items or load carriers during their passage through the goods receipt gate. At present, however, the design of RFID gates is often based on estimations, and their commissioning is mostly approached via trial and error. Even if the RFID network planning problem is known in the literature, existing algorithms cannot be applied to the design of RFID gates due to some limitations. In this paper, we propose a new evolutionary RFID network planning algorithm to design RFID gates optimally. The objective of our algorithm is to minimise the number of antennas and to adjust their mounting heights and angles. The algorithm ensures a tag coverage of at least 99%, prevents reflections on the ground, and can be used in the future as a standard for planning and commissioning RFID-enabled goods receipt gates. To demonstrate the applicability of our algorithm, we deployed it in a case study involving logistics of the automotive sector. The results of the deployment confirm the quality of our approach, as the RFID gate optimised by the algorithm deployed 4 antennas, with a vertical coverage rate of 99.96%, an horizontal coverage rate of 89.66%, and very interesting values of other evaluation functions, namely load balance and overlapping rate.

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Source Mercedes-Benz AG)

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dieter Uckelmann from the University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart for the support and the supervision and the Mercedes-Benz AG for the funding the Ph.D. position of one of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, Parma, Italy

    Henriette Knapp & Giovanni Romagnoli

  2. Centre of Competence Shopfloor & Vehicle Software, Mercedes-Benz AG, Sindelfingen, Germany

    Henriette Knapp

  3. Faculty of Geomatics, Computer Science and Mathematics, University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany

    Henriette Knapp

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  1. Henriette Knapp
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  2. Giovanni Romagnoli
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Correspondence to Giovanni Romagnoli.

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Knapp, H., Romagnoli, G. RFID systems optimisation through the use of a new RFID network planning algorithm to support the design of receiving gates. J Intell Manuf 34, 1389–1407 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10845-021-01858-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10845-021-01858-0

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