Este trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar uma Metodologia pra implantar um Modelo de Processo Informado de Supply Chain usando tecnologia RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) aplicado ao Agronegócio. Para criação deste Modelo desenvolveu-se uma Metodologia própria utilizando-se de Ferramentas Computacionais Livres que conduziram a criação de um programa especializado para o Supply Chain da Semente de Milho, que foi o caso escolhido para o estudo. Os procedimentos adotados para criação deste Modelo podem facilmente ser remodelados para outras Cadeias do Agronegócio, tais como a Carne, as Frutas, Grãos Comerciais, gerando assim vantagens competitivas aos produtos até então vistos como puras commodities. As aplicações tradicionais do RFID têm sido limitadas ao posicionamento de produtos em armazéns, deixando abertas muitas possibilidades de estudo, como é o caso do Modelo Informado, permitindo ao consumidor final do produto ter todas as informações necessárias para garantia da qualidade junto ao item. A integração de conhecimentos originados no Supply Chain, Processo Informado, RFID e Agronegócio é feita com base em uma estrutura que distribui a informação entre os equipamentos e bancos de dados associados aos leitores de RFID. Neste trabalho a questão da segurança contra leitura não autorizada não foi incluída. / This paper aims to present a methodology to deploy a Process Model Informed \"Supply Chain\" using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) applied to Agribusiness and Precision Agriculture. The intent of this proposal is to allow tend users of precision agriculture product to handle all the data need to ensure the quality of a target product. Traditional applications of RFID have been limited to product placement in stores, leaving a wide possibility of innovations in Supply Chain management. This case is strongly observed in agribusiness, a very important issue in Brazilian economy, where commodities are susceptible to failure or block orders. The coalescing of knowledge from Supply Chain, Process Informed, RFID and Agribusiness Study is made by a fair distribution of information among tags and databases, generally connected to RFID readers. Finally, a case study was included related to the supply of corn seeds to a culture inserted in the paradigm of precision agriculture.

En IT-styrd lager och orderhantering är idag vanligt, metoden för att ta emot leveranser har dock sett likadan ut länge. Man använder sig oftast av streckkoder/QR-koder eller rent manuell hantering med penna och papper. Radio frequency identification (RFID) möjliggör en trådlös och autonom avläsning av gods som är taggade. Tekniken har funnits länge men har under senaste år visats sig få en mer positiv trend, där mer och mer objekt blir taggade. Samarbetspartnern i denna studie Fiskarhedenvillan använder sig idag av ett helt manuellt system för inleveranser av gods på deras distributionscentral. De vill nu börja deras digitalisering av distributionscentralen genom att undersöka möjligheten att införa ett RFID-system som metod för hantering av gods vid inleveranser. Denna studie har i samarbete med Sogeti och Fiskarhedenvillan genomförts för att identifiera möjligheter och faktorer och undersöka ifall en implementation är möjlig. Intervjuer har genomförts med nyckelpersoner inom vad som kallats ”världens bästa RFID-projekt”. Från slutsatserna identifieras ett antal utmaningar kring processer av flöden som måste uppdateras för att kunna dra full nytta utav ett RFID-system. Vidare så blir RFID teknik som metod för inleverans av gods sällan mer effektivt, man måste också börja kolla på arbetssätt och börja utveckla de nuvarande processerna för att kunna utnyttja fördelarna med RFID. Då möjligheten att gardera sig mot en icke fulländad logistik-kedja med kombinerad tagg/streckkods-etikett samtidigt som mer och mer blir taggat gör det att RFID-system blir mer direkt användbara. Implementeringar underlättas av befintliga beprövade standarder. Kritiska faktorer att beakta inför implementering innebär bland annat omgivningsanalys och att implementeringar utav RFID-system ofta har stor inverkan på hela kedjan. Vidare identifieras möjligheter som tidigare beprövade system och en positiv trend för implementeringar inom RFID-tekniken. / An IT-controlled warehouse and order management is today common, however, the method for receiving deliveries has looked the same for a long time. You usually use bar codes / QR codes or purely manual handling with pen and paper. Radio frequency identification (RFID) enables a wireless and autonomous reading of goods that have been tagged. The technology has been aorund for a long time but has been shown to have a more positive trend in recent years, where more and more objects are being tagged. The partner in this study Fiskarhedenvillan today uses a completely manual system for deliveries of goods at their distibution center. They now want to start their digitalization of the distribution center by examining the posibility of introducing an RFID-system as a method for hondling goods at deliveries. This study, in collaboration with Sogeti and Fiskarhedenvillan, has been carried out to identify opportunities and factors and to investigate wether an implemantation is possible. Interviews have been conducted with key personell within what has been called ”the world’s best RFID project”. From the conclusions, a number of challenges are identified around processes of flows that must be updated to be able to take full advantage of an RFID system. Futhermore, RFID technology as a method for receiving goods rarely becomes more efficient unless the processes between flows are changed or updated, and the working methods should also be looked upon to be able to utilize the advantages of RFID. Since the possibility of gourding against an uncompleted logistics chain with a combined tag / barcode label at the same time as more and more objects are being tagged, it makes RFID systems more directly usable. Implementations are facilitated by existing proven standards. Critical factors to consider prior to implementation include environmental analysis and that implementations of RFID systems often have a great impact on the entire chain. Furthermore, opportunities are identified as previously proven systems and a positive trend for implementations in the RFID field.

Although the origins of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology can be traced back for many years, it is only recently that RFID has experienced rapid growth. That growth is mainly due to the increasing application of this technology in various supply chains. The widening of the implementation of RFID technology in supply chains has posed many challenges and one of the biggest is the degradation of the RFID system performance when tagging metallic objects, or when the RFID system operates in a metallic environment. This thesis focuses on tackling the issue of having metallic objects in an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) RFID system. The work presented in this thesis contributes to the research on UHF RFID systems involving metallic objects in several ways: (a) the development of novel RFID tags that range from a simple tag for general applications to tags suitable for metallic object identification; (b) the tag designs target the criteria of minimal tag size and cost to embrace the vision of item level tagging; and (c) the analysis of the performance (through theoretical predictions and practical measurements) of an RFID tag near metallic structures of various shapes and sizes. The early part of this thesis provides a brief introduction to RFID and reviews the background information related to metallic object identification for UHF RFID systems. The process of designing a basic tag, and additional information and work done related to the process, are outlined in the early part of this thesis. As part of this fundamental research process, and before proceeding to the designing of tags specifically for metallic objects, a small and low cost RFID tag for general applications was developed. Details of the design of this tag, with the application of this tag for animal identification, are presented. In the later parts of the work, different tag design approaches were explored and this has generated three rather different RFID tags suitable for attaching to metallic objects. The aim of this research is not just to design tags for metallic objects but also to tackle the constraints of having tags that are small in size, cost effective and suited in size to some familiar objects. Hence, in the later part of this research, the work took a step further where one of the three tags designed for metallic objects addressed the challenge of identifying individual small metallic beverage cans. RFID involves tagging of different types of objects and a tag may be required to be located in a depression of a metallic object. In the final part of this research, the read range performance of one of the RFID tags designed for metallic objects was analysed when the tag was located in metallic depressions of various shapes and sizes. The analysis was performed from a combination of theoretical calculation and simulation perspectives, and also through practical real-life measurements. Metallic objects are very common around us. Their presence is unavoidable and so to identify them, having the appropriate RFID tags suitable for operation on metallic surfaces is essential. Frequently the tags must be small in size and low in cost to allow identification at item level of individual small metallic objects. Understanding and being aware of the potential effects of metallic structures of various shapes and sizes on the tag performance is thus important. The research in this thesis into all the above can bring the industry further towards full deployment of RFID down to item level tagging. / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 2008

This report documents the design, construction, and implementation of a differential-offset spread spectrum RFID system, to avoid the problem of anti-collision interference from multiple RFID tags. Currently in industry, this problem is handled by establishing a two way communication link between the tags and the interrogator. The proposed system eliminates the need for the excessive hardware use to create this link, and therefore drastically reduces the cost of each tag. Not only is this system cheaper to implement but it is faster, requires less power, and by the nature of the design contains an inherent encryption scheme for the data being transmitted. Specialized RFID tags were designed and fabricated in order to produce a pseudo random code unique to each tag. The design presented in this document allowed simultaneous interrogation of up to 255 tags within one sensing environment. Once queried, the tags then modulate the incoming signal from the interrogator with their own sequence, and reflect the signal back to the interrogator. What the interrogator then receives is a combination of backscatter from all of the tags within the sensing environment. Specialized software written in Matlab and LabView uses these unique sequences to isolate the data from a desired tag away from the sea of information being transmitted from every tag. Using this system, numerous applications for experiments and measurements can be devised. One such application this thesis focuses on is the use of this system to simultaneously measure signal strengths from multiple diversity antennas in order to optimize their position and orientation. Currently, the majority of antenna diversity measurements are taken by measuring the signal strength of a given configuration one antenna at a time. By using the anti-collision RFID system proposed above, the signal strength produced by both antennas can be measured and recorded simultaneously to provide a true representation of their combined performance. This measurement can be used to find the optimal configuration for multiple antennas. This thesis will fully explore the theories and procedures behind creating this system, and will provide the results and analysis of its performance.

Navigation through large and unfamiliar facilities with labyrinths of corridors and rooms is difficult and often results in a person being lost. Additionally, locating a specific utility within a facility is often a tough task. The hypothesis tested in this research is that integrating real-time automated sensing technology and a Building Information Model will provide real time visualization that can assist in localization and navigation of a facility. The scope of this research is facility maintenance management during the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) phase of a facility. The thesis demonstrates how the integration of passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tracking technology and Building Information Modeling (BIM) can assist in facilities maintenance management. The objectives of this research included 1) developing a framework that utilizes the integration of commercially-available RFID and a BIM model; 2) evaluating the framework for real-time resource location tracking within an indoor environment; and 3) developing an algorithm for real-time localization and visualization in a BIM model. A prototype application has been developed that simultaneously connects the RFID readers, a database, and a BIM model. The goal of this system is to have a real-time localization accuracy of 3 meters at 95% confidence. Testing was conducted in laboratory conditions, and the results show that the system error was within the 3 meters goal.

Backscatter radio - the broad class of systems that communicate using scattered electromagnetic waves - is the driving technology behind many compelling applications such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and passive sensors. These systems can be used in many ways including article tracking, position location, passive temperature sensors, passive data storage, and in many other systems which require information exchange between an interrogator and a small, low-cost transponder with little-to-no transponder power consumption. Although backscatter radio is maturing, such systems have limited communication range and reliability caused, in part, by multipath fading. The research presented in this dissertation investigates how multipath fading can be reduced using multiple antennas at the interrogator transmitter, interrogator receiver, and on the transponder, or RF tag. First, two link budgets for backscatter radio are presented and fading effects demonstrated through a realistic, 915 MHz, RFID-portal example. Each term in the link budget is explained and used to illuminate the propagation and high-frequency effects that influence RF tag operation. Second, analytic envelope distributions for the M x L x N, dyadic backscatter channel - the general channel in which a backscatter system with M transmitter, L RF tag, and N receiver antennas operates - are derived. The distributions show that multipath fading can be reduced using multiple-antenna RF tags and by using separate transmitter and receiver antenna arrays at the interrogator. These results are verified by fading measurements of the M x L x N, dyadic backscatter channel at 5.8 GHz - the center of the 5725-5850 MHz unlicensed industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) frequency band that offers reduced antenna size, increased antenna gain, and, in some cases, reduced object attachment losses compared to the commonly used 902-928 MHz ISM band. Measurements were taken with a custom backscatter testbed and details of its design are provided. In the end, this dissertation presents both theory and measurements that demonstrate multipath fading reductions for backscatter-radio systems that use multiple antennas.

The purpose of the study was to determine consumer attitudes toward privacy and the influence of demographic factors on these attitudes. The study also sought to determine the willingness of participants to disclose selected individual information items and determine the awareness and acceptance level of technological innovations such as radio frequency identifiers (RFID) as they relate to privacy. A quantitative instrument was developed and a convenience sample of university students (N=203) was tested. Results showed that educational background played a role in the way participants perceived the applications of RFID.

In a supply chain, a warehouse is a crucial component for linking all chain parties. Automatic identification and data capture (auto-ID) technology, e.g. RFID and barcodes are among the essential technologies in the 21st century knowledge-based economy. Selecting an auto-ID technology is a long term investment and it contributes to improving operational efficiency, achieving cost savings and creating opportunities for higher revenues. The interest in auto-ID research for warehouse management is rather stagnant and relatively small in comparison to other research domains such as transport, logistics and supply chain. However, although there are some previous studies that explored factors for the auto-ID selection decision in a warehouse environment, those factors (e.g., operational factors) have been examined separately and researchers have paid no attention to all key factors that may potentially affect this decision. In fact, yet there is no comprehensive framework in the literature that comprehensively investigates the critical factors influencing the auto-ID selection decision and how the factors should be combined to produce a successful auto-ID selection process in warehouse management. Therefore, the main aim of this research is to investigate empirically the auto-ID technology-selection process and to determine the key factors that influence decision makers when selecting auto-ID technology in the warehouse environment. This research is preceded by a comprehensive and systematic review of the relevant literature to identify the set of factors that may affect the technology selection decision. The Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) framework has been used as lens to categorise the identified factors (Tornatzky & Fleischer, 1990). Data were collected by conducting first a modified (mixed-method) two-round Delphi study with a worldwide panel of experts (107) including academics, industry practitioners and consultants in auto-ID technologies. The results of the Delphi study were then verified via follow-up interviews, both face-to-face and telephone, carried out with 19 experts across the world. This research in nature is positivist, exploratory/descriptive, deductive/inductive and quantitative/qualitative. The quantitative data were analysed using the statistical package for social sciences, SPSS V.18, while the qualitative data of the Delphi study and the interviews were analysed manually using quantitative content analysis approach and thematic content analysis approach respectively. The findings of this research are reported on the motivations/reasons of warehouses in seeking to use auto-ID technologies, the challenges in making an auto-ID decision, the recommendations to address the challenges, the key steps that should be followed in making auto-ID selection decision, the key factors and their relative importance that influence auto-ID selection decision in a warehouse. The results of the Delphi study show that the six major factors affecting the auto-ID selection decision in warehouse management are: organisational, operational, structural, resources, external environmental and technological factors (in decreasing order of importance). In addition, 54 key sub-factors have been identified from the list of each of the major factors and ranked in decreasing order of the importance mean scores. However, the importance of these factors depends on the objectives and strategic motivations of warehouse; size of warehouse; type of business; nature of business environment; sectors; market types; products and countries. Based on the Delphi study and the interviews findings, a comprehensive multi-stage framework for auto-ID technology selection process has been developed. This research indicates that the selection process is complex and needs support and closer collaboration from all participants involved in the process such as the IT team, top management, warehouse manager, functional managers, experts, stockholders and vendors. Moreover, warehouse managers should have this process for collaboration before adopting the technology in order to reduce the high risks involved and achieve successful implementation. This research makes several contributions for both academic and practitioners with auto-ID selection in a warehouse environment. Academically, it provides a holistic multi-stage framework that explains the critical issues within the decision making process of auto-ID technology in warehouse management. Moreover, it contributes to the body of auto-ID and warehouse management literature by synthesising the literature on key dimensions of auto-ID (RFID/barcode) selection decision in the warehouse field. This research also provides a theoretical basis upon which future research on auto-ID selection and implementation can be built. Practically, the findings provide valuable insights for warehouse managers and executives associated with auto-ID selection and advance their understanding of the issues involved in the technology selection process that need to be considered.

published_or_final_version / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

Throughout North America, many species of aerial insectivorous birds – birds that capture flying insects – have exhibited sharp declines, with tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) experiencing a 2.8% annual decline in Canada since 1989. The timing of these declines coincides with major changes in agriculture, perhaps signaling a potential causal link. Declines may be influenced indirectly by agriculturally-driven reductions in the abundance of the swallow’s main diet of aerial insects through increased agrochemical use, wetland drainage and cropping intensity. My objectives were to determine how aerial insect abundance and biomass vary across an agricultural landscape in the Canadian Prairies, and determine how breeding tree swallows respond in terms of (i) foraging behaviours and return rates, (ii) body condition, and (iii) selected physiological responses (i.e. oxidative stress and feather corticosterone). Artificial nest-boxes were erected at each of 5 sites with varying levels of agricultural intensification in south-central Saskatchewan, 2012-2014. Insect abundance and biomass were monitored daily using passive aerial samplers at each of the sites throughout the breeding season. Tree swallows adults (n = 596) and nestlings (n = 1107) from each nest were captured, banded, measured and blood and feather sampled to determine condition and physiological status. In 2014, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology was employed at a subset of nest-boxes to determine adult foraging rates and durations. Despite strong differences in land use characteristics among sites, insect abundance and biomass varied by year but were similar between heavily cropped and grassland references sites. Regardless, birds responded to temporal changes in prey abundance and differences were found in measurements of foraging behavior and physiological measures of oxidative stress. Adult foraging rate (number of nest visits/hour) was primarily influenced by wind and nestling age, but was also positively related to daily insect biomass. Foraging intervals (i.e., length of time spent on each trip) differed between agricultural intensities; birds on agricultural sites spent more time away from the nest box, presumably foraging, suggesting reduced nest attentiveness. Return rates were primarily predicted by body condition and brood size from the previous breeding season, but were also higher on grassland sites, suggesting that agricultural sites may be less favorable. Older adults (based on banding records) and females displayed a higher body condition than did younger individuals and males, respectively. Measures of physiology (i.e. total antioxidant counts and oxidative damage) in both adult and nestling swallows were primarily driven by temporal changes in insect biomass and abundance. Similarly, adult body mass and physiology were related to local insect availability, but not land use (agriculture/grassland). Measures of nestling feather corticosterone were unrelated to any of the explanatory variables. These results provide valuable information pertaining to components of individual quality, foraging behaviour, and return status in response to prey availability under differing agricultural land use regimes, which may help to inform conservation strategies for a variety of insectivorous bird species of conservation concern.