Zeitschriftenartikel zum Thema „Tags RFID couplés“

This paper presents a system to monitor soil moisture using standard UHF RFID tags buried on the soil. An autonomous mobile robot is also presented, which is capable to navigate on the field and automatically read the sensors, even if they are completely buried on the soil. Thus, passive RFID tags are buried on the soil, allowing wireless moisture measurement without the need of batteries for long periods. The system dispenses external cables and antennas and may be composed of a single RFID tag buried on the soil or by several RFID tags buried at different depths on the soil. An antenna coupled to a RFID reader can be pointed to the place of installation of these tags, and by measuring the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and other parameters, it allows to estimate the amount of water on the soil. The estimation of volumetric water content (VWC) on the soil was successfully obtained and calibrated with R2>0.9 using neural networks trained with experimental data from a reference capacitive soil moisture sensor. In addition to the simplified installation procedure, the system allows manual or automatic reading through irrigation systems or other systems to control irrigation systems. The system has been evaluated in several experiments, and nine tags were buried on the field, being used for at least three years. Experimental results show that it is possible to read tags at 40 cm deep in the soil with the RFID reader antenna 10 cm far from the soil surface.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a pervasive wireless technology to automatically identify, track, and locate objects or people. RFID technology falls into three categories with respect to tags' energy source: passive, semi-passive and active. Active RFID tags are preferred in many applications for their advantages: Visibility, security, quality and high distance communication. Active RFID systems present a couple of challenges that are vital and should be overcome before enjoying their benefits. One of the most important new challenges is energy-efficient data gathering. ISO/IEC 18000-7, operating at 433 MHz, is one of the active RFID standards. We realize that a tag consumes too much energy source to perform a satisfactory communication compliance with the standard in Rayleigh fading channel. Motivated by this need, in this paper, we aim to ameliorate a RFID system performance from the perspective of better communication and energy efficiency. Detailed and extensively simulations show that using multiple antennas with limited feedback schemes significantly diminish the frame error rates and increase the battery lifetime. Moreover, we have evaluated the performance of the limited feedback schemes when the wireless channels are correlated and multiple antennas are present at the reader.

Purpose: Recently, the complexity of managing warehouses has been amplified significantly due to factors that include increased requests for more frequent and smaller order fulfilment, reduction of operational cost, and improvement of customer experience. Product stock count is a critical process in order to address the aforementioned challenges. This articles presents experimental results from the adoption of drones coupled with RFID tags used for real time goods’ stock count.Design/methodology/approach: The research methodology adopted combines three different methods, namely Systematic Literature Review (SLR) for identifying parameters that affect the performance of drones in stock count process, survey via questionnaire and interviews to logistics managers to map needs and requirements in warehouse operations, as well as laboratory testing via Design of Experiment (24 full factorial design & ANOVA) methodology to investigate how certain parameters corelate and affect the reading accuracy of RFID tags as well as the time needed by a drone for stock count completion. Findings: The results of the experiments are encouraging, showing that the use of drones coupled with RFID tags may support faster, cost-effective, and safer stock count in warehouses. In both ambient and chilled storage environment an 100% RFID tag reading accuracy was achieved. Less stock-count completion time when compared to manual stock-count was achieved in both cases.Research implications: Understanding the effect of technical and operational parameters of RFID technology in conjunction with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)-drones may have the potential to radically transform the stock count process by considerably increase the efficiency and accuracy of the process.Practical implications: Real-time stock count via drones has significant cost-saving implications for organizations. The elimination of manual stock counting saves operational expenses and increases staff safety. Furthermore, real-time data collection of existing product stock allows managers to efficiently allocate resources, enhancing overall efficiency and performance.Originality/value: This research is among the first studies that aim to present evidence from experimental results that assess the use of drones coupled with RFID technology for real-time stock count. The results from laboratory experiments demonstrate the effect of certain operational parameters, such as drone speed, number of rack levels, and RFID tag location on products, during the execution of the stock count process in terms of RFID reading accuracy and stock-count completion time.

A novel quad-state coupled-line microstrip resonator is proposed for compact chipless radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. The proposed resonator can be reconfigured to present one of four possible states: 00, 01, 10, and 11, representing, no resonance, resonance at f2, resonance at f1, and resonance at both f1 and f2, respectively. The frequency span between f2 and f1 can be easily controlled, thereby reducing the required spectrum. Moreover, the proposed technique allows the storage of a large amount of data in a compact size to reduce the cost per bit. A multi-resonator prototype consisting of six resonators is designed, analyzed, and experimentally characterized. This prototype is implemented on the RT Duroid 5880 substrate with a dielectric constant of 2.2, loss tangent of 0.0009, and thickness of 0.79 mm. The designed configuration can be reconfigured for 46 codes. Two complete the RFID tags, including the six resonators and two orthogonally polarized transmitting and receiving antennas, are implemented and tested. The first tag code is designed for all ones, 111111111111, and the second tag is designed as 101010101010 code. Experimental results show good agreement with the simulation.

In an IoT (Internet of Things) system where each IoT device has one/many RFID tags, there might be many RFID tags. However, when multiple tags respond to the reader’s interrogation at the same time, their signals collide. Due to the collision, the reader must request the colliding tags to retransmit their IDs, resulting in higher communication overhead and longer identification time. Therefore, this paper presents a Bit-tracking Knowledge-based Query Tree (BKQT), which uses two techniques: knowledge, which stores all the tag IDs that can possibly occur, and bit tracking, which allows the reader to detect the locations of the collided bits in a collision slot. BKQT constructs a query tree for all possible tags, called a k-tree, by using knowledge while it constructs bit-collision cases and the corresponding actions for each node in this k-tree by using bit tracking. In the identification process, BKQT traverses this constructed k-tree and thus identifies the colliding tags faster by taking the actions according to the happening bit-collision cases. From the simulation results, BKQT can improve the identification time by 44.3%, 46.4%, and 25.1%, compared with the previous knowledge-based protocols, Knowledge Query Tree (KQT), Heuristic Query Tree (H-QT), Query Tree with Shortcutting and Couple Resolution (QTSC), respectively.

Compared with current methods, additive manufacturing processes could offer a more environment-friendly and cost-effective solution in producing long lasting RFID tags for identification and sensing applications. In this work we report the fabrication of UHF RFID antennas by inkjet printing on a flexible substrate. Silver and gold were chosen as ink materials since they are more resistant to weathering than other metals, particularly for applications that require long-term reusability. We compared the print performance of a commercial silver ink and our lab-developed gold nanoparticle (AuNP) ink on polyethylene naphthalate. The printing process for each ink is described using an adopted loop antenna design optimized for 866-868 MHz frequency range. Assembled passive and battery-assisted RFID tags using single-and double-layer sintered, printed antennas coupled with a readable UHF RFID chip showed tolerable detection distances using a commercial compact reader (with short read range specifications). Additionally, we observed a more consistent print behavior and quality, and consequently longer read ranges for the gold antennas (up to 40 cm with battery). Furthermore, the silver antennas oxidized over time resulting in decreased read ranges. Overall, our results show the viability of a printable gold RFID antenna with a tag working range that may be fit for close range non-contact reading.

RFID is a technology that uses radio frequency signals coupled to the space (alternating magnetic or electromagnetic), to achieve the purpose of non-contact transfer of information and automatic identification. In this paper, RFID reader system is designed based on the MF RC500. Compared with the automatic identification technology such as the barcodes, magnetic cards and IC cards, The RFID reader has many outstanding advantages: firstly, it is safe and suitable for high security terminal. The second, a plurality of electronic tags can be recognized simultaneously. The third, there is no mechanical wear. The fourth, it is convenient to use with non-contact operation and without human intervention when identifying.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is one of the most actual techniques employed to control the circuit of merchandises, as an alternative to the classical barecode. RFID tags should be cheap and easy to reproduct on a multitude of dielectric supports. There are several types of RFID systems, depending on whether tag and/or reader are active or passive. For cost reasons, merchandise identification should use active reader and passive tag, as the latter might be manufactured on a cheap FR4 support or printed directly on paper, by using a conductive ink. Passive tags can be shaped as straight dipoles, meandered dipoles, or loops. When a small area is required, loops are more appropriated. Codes are made different one from another by using on the same tag antennas with different resonance frequencies. Another advantage of loops is that they can be placed one inside other, so the occupied area is even smaller compared to other multi-resonant tags. Firstly, a single loop is analyzed, in order to model the resonant behaviour, correlated to the loop geometry and size. Open and closed loops are studied; the lowest resonance frequency for a given loop length is achieved for the open loop. In that case, the loop is resonating as a dipole. Next, a tag with three concentric loops is investigated. Separately, a small loop is used on the tag, in order to couple the received power in a resistor. When the tag is close to the reader, the latter is triggered if power is absorbed simultaneously on the three expected frequencies. The proposed tag was simulated and manufactured. Results show a good agreement between measured and simulated data. Finally, a block diagram for the reader was proposed.

Abstract: In a grocery store, for example, a smart shopping system may connect all of the items. Low-cost RFID tags may be added to each item in an IoT system, which may be read by a smart shopping cart's RFID reader when the item is put in the cart. To avoid lengthy lines at the register, clients may now pay for their purchases using their smartphones. This system may also be coupled with RFID scanners, which enable it to maintain track of inventory and, if required, communicate stock changes to a central server. Additionally, inventory management is simplified thanks to the use of RFID readers instead of laborers who must manually scan every item in the system. Design criteria, a prototype system, and a secure communication protocol are some of the methods used in this study to prove the system's viability in the real world. We believe this is the first time that a smart shopping system with security in mind has been offered.

Anti-collision algorithm of label is a key technique to enhance identifying efficiency in the RFID system. This paper make a new conception of couple of single-bit collision that based on the elementary query tree algorithm and two improved algorithm analyzed in detail. Meliorating the both back query tree algorithm and dynamic back query tree algorithm by single-bit anti-collision algorithm could achieve the function that discern double labels at the same time by inquiry once. Simulation results show that the single-bit anti-collision could reduce times and time of total inquiries, particularly, dominant improvement of deterministic algorithm by this algorithm when the amount of labels above and beyond half capacity permitted by collision bits.

AbstractThis paper discusses the design of chip-less RFID tags of a standard pocket size of 69 mm by 156 mm. These tags are based on lumped elements of copper metal traces constructed on a thin polyamide flexible substrate. Moreover, a low-cost single-chip Bluetooth detector circuit system is demonstrated. Two different detection methods: variable coil load coupling and optical light intensity detection were combined to yield 256 unique ID codes. In the first method, by utilizing simple 4 MHz digital drivers and an integrated analog to digital converter (ADC) in the reader controller; various inductively coupled resonant loads corresponding to multiple distinct tags could be differentiated, yielding eight different (3-bit) ID codes. The additional via-based hole pattern reflectometer method creates additional 32 distinct levels (5-bit) utilizing 650 nm visible light-emitting diode and a simple trans-impedance operational along with the same analog ADC pins of a Bluetooth controller. The printed circuit board trace coil on the two-layer low-cost FR-4 waterproof sealed detector unit is simultaneously used as a Qi wireless power receiver to charge the120 mAh 2450 Lithium Polymer (LiR) battery. The device could remain operational for more than a month with a single charge; remaining connected with a mobile device and enabling 10 readouts daily.

This article presents an innovative combination of textile electrical circuits with advanced capabilities of electronic RFID sensors, indicating the revolutionary nature of the development of textronics, which is used in various areas of life, from fashion to medicine. A review of the literature relating to the construction of textronic RFID identifiers and capacitive textronic sensors is performed. Various approaches to measuring capacity using RFID tags are discussed. This article focuses on presenting the concept of a capacitive sensor with an RFID interface, consisting of a microelectronic part and a textile part. The textile part is based on the WL4007 material, where antennas and capacitive sensors are embroidered using SPARKFUN DEV 11791 conductive thread. The antenna is a half-wave dipole designed to operate at a frequency of 860 MHZ. The microelectronic part is sewn to the textile part and consists of a microcontroller, an RFID-integrated circuit and a coupling loop, placed on the PCB. The embroidered antenna is coupled with a loop on the microelectronic module. This article focuses on presenting various designs of textronic electrodes, enabling various types of measurements. Article presents capacitance measurements of individual sensor electrodes, made using a measuring bridge and a built RFID tag. The sensors’ capacity measurement results are shown.

The idea of novel antennas and matching circuits, developed for radio frequency identification (RFID) passive transponders, and made on textile substrates, is presented in this paper. By manufacturing an RFID transponder by the means used in every clothing factory, we developed the concept of RFIDtex tags, which, as textronic devices, make a new significant contribution to the Internet of Textile Things (IoTT). The main feature of the device consists of the use of an uncommon inductively coupled system as the antenna feed element. The antenna is sewn/embroidered with a conductive thread, and the microelectronic module with an RFID chip is made in the form of a bead, using standard electronic technology. Finally, the construction of the RFIDtex tag is developed for easy implementation in production lines in the garment industry. The proposed inductive coupling scheme has not been considered anywhere, so far. The developed transponder is dedicated to operating in RFID systems of the ultra-high frequency band (UHF). The numerical calculations confirmed by the experimental results clearly indicate that the proposed coupling system between the antenna and the microelectronic module works properly and the RFIDtex device can operate correctly within a distance of several meters. The proposed design is based on the authors’ patent on the textronic RFID transponder (patent no PL 231291 B1).

Resource following alludes to the technique for following noticeable resources by examining scanner tag labels appended to products or utilizing GPS, BLE or RFID to send area labels. RFID labels can spread their area, however the transmission distance is restricted (a couple of meters). Resources can be followed by manual examining of scanner tags, (for example, QR codes). You can check a QR code utilizing a cell phone with a camera and a committed program, just as a standardized identification reader. Yet, the entirety of this has its impediments. In our system the user can be able to track the location of the asset once it has been moved in a long distance or stolen. This project utilizes long distance RF communication modules such as LoRa modules which provide long distance communication in terms of kilometres. The LoRa modules can be distributed across the city for tracking of the asset. As the asset moves around the city, the location of that asset is been transmitted to a nearby LoRa which is then transmitted to the mobile app developed independently for tracking the asset

While there is a wide range of approaches to monitor industrial machinery through their static components, rotating components are usually harder to monitor, since sensors are difficult to be mounted on them and continuously read during operation. However, the characteristics of rotating components may provide useful information about the machine condition to be included in monitoring algorithms, specially for long-term data analysis. In this work, wireless vibration monitoring of rotating machine parts is investigated using surface acoustic wave (SAW) radio frequency identification (RFID) tags coupled with sensors. The proposed augmented transponder solution, combined with low-latency interrogation and signal processing, enables real-time identification and wideband vibration sensing. On top of that, a multi-channel interrogation approach is used to compensate motion effects. This approach enhances the signal-to-noise ratio of low-power high-frequency components present on the vibration signatures and enables discriminant information extraction from rotating machine parts. Final feasibility is evaluated with induction motors and vibration measurements on rotating shafts are verified. In addition, a condition classification algorithm is implemented in an experimental setup based on different motor states. The results of this work open the possibility to feed predictive maintenance algorithms using new features extracted in real-time from wideband vibration measurements on rotating components.

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Ghana (UG) have embraced the use of electronic tags to grant users access to their campuses via electronic vehicle access-control gates. This introduction has not only granted or denied users entry into the university community, but has helped increase security, monitored movement of vehicles, kept records, reduced the rate of vehicle theft and unnecessary traffic jams. That notwithstanding, there are some challenges. This study focused on analysing the existing vehicular accesscontrol systems in both universities and the challenges faced with the use of the systems. The qualitative research method and the descriptive research design were employed in the study. In all, one hundred and forty (140) users of the access-control systems: seventy (70) from each university, were selected for interview using the convenience, snowball, and purposive sampling techniques. The findings of the study showed that out of the 140 respondents, fifty-four (54) respondents representing 39% indicated they have encountered one or more of these challenges: system authentication failure, delay in system operation, interrupted power supply, tag abuse and/or theft. These are coupled with challenges of the safety of the equipment adapted. In this regard, this paper resulted in a clear picture of the technology adopted by the two institutions, their pros and cons, as well as user friendliness and sustainability. This is followed by constructive recommendations regarding sustainable components for the vehicular access-control systems such as improvement in the bio data reading technology, more active chips, energy efficiency, and more effective but durable systems. This is expected to improve the institutional/employee security of such institutions as wells provide information on the RFID technology, its use and challenges to other institutions who are yet to embrace the system.

AbstractThis paper proposes a compact multi-bits chipless RFID tag using fully printed resonators with dual performance of tagging and sensing temperature. Each bit is modelled as curl resonator coupled to microstrip line and is printed on metal-backed Rogers RO4003 substrate. The proposed model is characterized by high attenuation of − 10 dB with narrow bandwidth and power reflection of − 3.2 dB. A parametric study on the effect of the tag dimensions of the transmission coefficient response is introduced. The resonance frequency of each bit is controlled via controlling the curl arm’s length. The multi-bits RFID tag is modelled using multi-curl resonators arranged next to microstrip line with different arm lengths. A multi-bits chipless RFID tags with 3-bits, 6-bits and 12-bits are designed in the frequency band from 3 to 7 GHz. The dimensions of 6-bits code are 60 × 17 mm2 and for 12-bits code are 29.75 × 34 mm2. A temperature sensing capability is achieved via integrated Stanyl polyamide material with the curl resonator. The first bit is used for temperature sensing while the other bits are used for data encoding. The proposed chipless RFID tags are simulated using commercial software based on well defined numerical techniques; i.e. high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS) based on finite element method (FEM) and verified with CST-microwave studio (CST-MWS) based on the finite integral technique (FIT).

Problem The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry globally [UNEP2021] - 85% of all textiles go to landfill each year [WEF2021]. There is growing demand for a shift to circular business models, with new concepts emerging such as “extended producer responsibility” [DEFRA2022], and policy announcements such as the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, mandating Digital Product Passports (DPP) [EC2023].The Ellen McArthur Foundation [EMF2021] has stated that “Sustainability concerns among customers are also projected to heighten”. This fact, coupled with the preparation of potential new regulatory instruments such as ‘Extended Producer Responsibility’ and other critical regulatory developments, is pushing the industry to consider different and more sustainable ways of producing textile products. A new technology-infrastructure to facilitate this transition is required, to support companiesand consumers access critical data on individual garments. 150 billion items of clothing are produced annually worldwide [EMF2022], of which around 12.5 billion were tagged in 2022, using radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology [Checkpoint2022]. The use of RFID tags is increasing rapidly, with the market projected to reach $35.6 Billion by 2030 [MarketsAndMarkets2022]. However, there are mainly two sustainability related problems holding back the full potential of RFID in the fashion industry: Weaknesses in current RFID-tag technologies: low robustness, non-washability, and attachment to temporary labels not integrated with the garment itself. 12.5 Billion RFID-tags were used last year in the fashion industry, mainly for inventory management [Checkpoint2022]. Those billions of paper/metal/label tags are usually removed immediately after sale and end up in landfill (which is very bad for the environment), because they are not washable or comfortable to wear with thegarment. For garments to be traceable throughout their lifecycle (enabling efficiencies and circular models), there is a need for integrating permanent 'Digital Passports' (e.g. RFID) in each textile-based product, and for easy access to data contained in these Digital Passports. Lack of data access, exchange and integration between supply chain actors: Currently, stakeholders use their own independent data management system/s. Therefore, the biggest challenges for efficient recycling/reuse of clothing is lack of access to data on fibre/material content. This makes it very difficult to implement automated systems for breaking up and separating used clothing items into their different fibre components.

AbstractRadio frequency identification (RFID) is a mature technology that allows contactless data readout via a wireless communication link. While numerous passive RFID tags are available on the market, accurate alignment between tags and readers is required in a vast majority of cases to mitigate polarization mismatches. We show that enhancing electromagnetic designs with additional mechanical degrees of freedom allows bypassing fundamental limitations and approach ideal performances. Here, we demonstrate a new miniature tag, accessible from any direction and immune to rotations in space. Our tag is made of a high permittivity ceramic resonator, inductively coupled to a metal ring, which contains an RFID chip. The structure is placed inside a spherical plastic holder. In this architecture, the ceramic resonator serves several functions. First, it allows reducing the device footprint without significant bandwidth degradation. Second, it acts as a bob, aligning the electromagnetic structure parallel to the ground, regardless of its initial orientation in space. The bob is designed to slide inside the plastic holder. This roly-poly effect relaxes the constraint on a mutual tag-reader orientation, including the polarization mismatch, and provides next to perfect long-range operation. Being only 55 mm in diameter, our device can be interrogated from a 12 m distance, regardless of the tag’s orientation in space. Introducing mechanical degrees of freedom into electromagnetic designs allows obtaining new functionalities, contributing to applications where a mutual orientation between transvers is required.

AbstractThis letter proposes a novel cross‐shaped structure‐based parallel coupled line transformer and its application to tag antenna for 920‐MHz radio frequency identification (RFID) and 5‐GHz WiFi Cross‐Technology Communication (CTC). This transformer can be tuned by some lumped capacitors and the equivalent transmission line length for high order harmonic matching. The WiFi is applicable for tourism crowd counting and its counting accuracy may be increased with an additional number of the virtual WiFi Access Points contributed by 5‐GHz resonance of said tags attached with touristic metallic objects. To study the 5‐GHz resonance of these tags the tag antenna is a square patch with a rectangular slot built with 3D acrylonitrile butadiene styrene printing material. The working frequency of the antenna is around 920 MHz, which can achieve a gain of 5.4 dBi and there is also a resonance at 5.6 GHz with a gain of −6.7 dBi. When the capacitor is tuned, the 5‐GHz band of WiFi is varied from 5.2 to 5.6 GHz applicable to emerging WiFi 5 and 6 CTC applications. It is anticipated that the prototype tag provides a flexible tourism crowd counting solution using CTC in the future.

Traditionally, mobile bills are paid either by cash, or credit/debit cards by standing in the queues at the operator’s showroom. Else it’s paid using some recharge coupons. This paper is a part of industrial project for users helping them to participate in value added services offered by mobile operators. Using their RFID tags, users can carry out transactions such as bill payments (postpaid), content downloads, recharge their prepaid connections, etc.., Mobile users can perform cash-less transactions. All this with easy-to-use, simple but intuitive touch of their handset to ‘target icons’. This solution with anytime, anywhere electronic talk time charging and bill payment in self service mode offers Mobile Network Operators a quantum leap in operational efficiency of their revenue assurance systems. It simplifies and speeds up day-to-day mobile transactions by their customers.

AbstractModern livestock farm technologies allow operators to have access to a multitude of data thanks to the high number of mobile and fixed sensors available on both the livestock farming machinery and the animals. These data can be consulted via PC, tablet, and smartphone, which must be handheld by the operators, leading to an increase in the time needed for on-field activities. In this scenario, the use of augmented reality smart glasses could allow the visualization of data directly in the field, providing for a hands-free environment for the operator to work. Nevertheless, to visualize specific animal information, a connection between the augmented reality smart glasses and electronic animal identification is needed. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to develop and test a wearable framework, called SmartGlove that is able to link RFID animal tags and augmented reality smart glasses via a Bluetooth connection, allowing the visualization of specific animal data directly in the field. Moreover, another objective of the study was to compare different levels of augmented reality technologies (assisted reality vs. mixed reality) to assess the most suitable solution for livestock management scenarios. For this reason, the developed framework and the related augmented reality smart glasses applications were tested in the laboratory and in the field. Furthermore, the stakeholders’ point of view was analyzed using two standard questionnaires, the NASA-Task Load Index and the IBM-Post Study System Usability Questionnaire. The outcomes of the laboratory tests underlined promising results regarding the operating performances of the developed framework, showing no significant differences if compared to a commercial RFID reader. During the on-field trial, all the tested systems were capable of performing the task in a short time frame. Furthermore, the operators underlined the advantages of using the SmartGlove system coupled with the augmented reality smart glasses for the direct on-field visualization of animal data.

Connections In Small Pieces Loosely Joined, David Weinberger identifies some of the obvious changes which the Web has brought to human relations. Social connections, he argues, used to be exclusively defined and constrained by the physics and physicality of the “real” world, or by geographical and material facts: it’s … true that we generally have to travel longer to get to places that are farther away; that to be heard at the back of the theater, you have to speak louder; that when a couple moves apart, their relationship changes; that if I give you something, I no longer have it. (xi) The Web, however, is a place (or many places) where the boundaries of space, time, and presence are being reworked. Further, since we built this virtual world ourselves and are constantly involved in its evolution, the Web can tell us much about who we are and how we relate to others. In Weinberger’s view, it demonstrates that “we are creatures who care about ourselves and the world we share with others”, and that “we live within a context of meaning” beyond what we had previously cared to imagine (xi-xii). Before the establishment of computer-mediated communication (CMC), we already had multiple means of connecting people commonly separated by space (Gitelman and Pingree). Yet the Web has allowed us to see each other whilst separated by great distances, to share stories, images and other media online, to co-construct or “produse” (Bruns) content and, importantly, to do so within groups, rather than merely between individuals (Weinberger 108). This optimistic evaluation of the Web and social relations is a response to some of the more cautious public voices that have accompanied recent technological developments. In the 1990s, Jan van Dijk raised concerns about what he anticipated as wide-reaching social consequences in the new “age of networks” (2). The network society, as van Dijk described it, was defined by new interconnections (chiefly via the World Wide Web), increased media convergence and narrowcasting, a spread of both social and media networks and the decline of traditional communities and forms of communication. Modern-day communities now consisted both of “organic” (physical) and “virtual” communities, with mediated communication seemingly beginning to replace, or at least supplement, face-to-face interaction (24). Recently, we have found ourselves on the verge of even more “interconnectedness” as the future seems determined by ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) and a new technological and cultural development known as the “Internet of Things” (Greenfield). Ubicomp refers to the integration of information technology into everyday objects and processes, to such an extent that the end-users are often unaware of the technology. According to Greenfield, ubicomp has significant potential to alter not only our relationship with technology, but the very fabric of our existence: A mobile phone … can be switched off or left at home. A computer … can be shut down, unplugged, walked away from. But the technology we're discussing here–ambient, ubiquitous, capable of insinuating itself into all the apertures everyday life affords it–will form our environment in a way neither of those technologies can. (6) Greenfield's ideas are neither hypothesis, nor hyperbole. Ubicomp is already a reality. Dodson notes, Ubicomp isn't just part of our ... future. Its devices and services are already here. Think of the use of prepaid smart cards for use of public transport or the tags displayed in our cars to help regulate congestion charge pricing or the way in which corporations track and move goods around the world. (7) The Internet of Things advances the ubicomp notion of objects embedded with the capacity to receive and transmit data and anticipates a move towards a society in which every device is “on” and in some way connected to the Internet; in other words, objects become networked. Information contained within and transmitted among networked objects becomes a “digital overlay” (Valhouli 2) over the physical world. Valhouli explains that objects, as well as geographical sites, become part of the Internet of Things in two ways. Information may become associated with a specific location using GPS coordinates or a street address. Alternatively, embedding sensors and transmitters into objects enables them to be addressed by Internet protocols, and to sense and react to their environments, as well as communicate with users or with other objects. (2) The Internet of Things is not a theoretical paradigm. It is a framework for describing contemporary technological processes, in which communication moves beyond the established realm of human interaction, to enable a whole range of potential communications: “person-to-device (e.g. scheduling, remote control, or status update), device-to-device, or device-to-grid” (Valhouli 2). Are these newer forms of communication in any sense meaningful? Currently, ubicomp's applications are largely functional, used in transport, security, and stock control. Yet, the possibilities afforded by the technology can be employed to enhance “connectedness” and “togetherness” in the broadest social sense. Most forms of technology have at least some social impact; this is particularly true of communication technology. How can that impact be made explicit? Here, we discuss one such potential application of ubicomp with reference to a new UK research project: TOTeM–Tales of Things and Electronic Memory. TOTeM aims to draw on personal narratives, digital media, and tagging to create an “Internet” of people, things, and object memories via Web 2.0 and mobile technologies. Communicating through Objects The TOTeM project, began in August 2009 and funded by Research Councils UK's Digital Economy Programme, is concerned with eliciting the memory and value of “old” artefacts, which are generally excluded from the discourse of the Internet of Things, which focuses on new and future objects produced with embedded sensors and transmitters. We focus instead on existing artefacts that hold significant personal resonance, not because they are particularly expensive or useful, but because they contain or “evoke” (Turkle) memories of people, places, times, events, or ideas. Objects across a mantelpiece can become conduits between events that happened in the past and people who will occupy the future (Miller 30). TOTeM will draw on user-generated content and innovative tagging technology to study the personal relationships between people and objects, and between people through objects. Our hypothesis is that the stories that are connected to particular objects can become binding ties between individuals, as they provide insights into personal histories and values that are usually not shared, not because they are somehow too personal or uninteresting, but because there is currently little systematic context for sharing them. Even in families, where objects routinely pass down through generations, the stories associated with these objects are generally either reduced to a vague anecdote or lost entirely. Beyond families, there are some objects whose stories are deemed culturally-significant: monuments, the possessions of historical figures, religious artefacts, and archaeological finds. The current value system which defines an object’s cultural significance appears to replicate Bourdieu's assessment of the hierarchies which define aesthetic concepts such as taste. In both cases, the popular, everyday, or otherwise mundane is deemed to possess less cultural capital than that which is less accessible or otherwise associated with the social elites. As a result, objects whose histories are well-known are mostly found in museums, untouchable and unused, whereas objects which are within reach, all around us, tend to travel from owner to owner without anyone considering what histories they might contain. TOTeM’s aim is to provide both a context and a mechanism for enabling individuals and community groups to share object-related stories and memories through digital media, via a custom-built platform of “tales of things”. Participants will be able to use real-life objects as conduits for memory, by producing “tales” about the object's personal significance, told through digital video, photographs, audio, or a mixture of media. These tales will be hosted on the TOTeM project's website. Through specifically-developed TOTeM technology, each object tale will generate a unique physical tag, initially in the form of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and QR (Quick Response) codes. TOTeM participants will be able to attach these tags/codes to their objects. When scanned with a mobile phone equipped with free TOTeM software or an RFID tag reader, each tag will access the individual object's tale online, playing the media files telling that object’s story on the mobile phone or computer. The object's user-created tale will be persistently accessible via both the Internet and 3G (third generation) mobile phones. The market share of 3G and 4G mobile networks is expanding, with some analysts predicting that they will account for 30% of the global mobile phone market by 2014 (Kawamoto). As the market for mobile phones with fast data transfer rates keeps growing, TOTeM will become accessible to an ever-growing number of mobile, as well as Internet, users. The TOTeM platform will serve two primary functions. It will become an archive for object memories and thus grow to become an “archaeology for the future”. We hope that future generations will be able to return to this repository and learn about the things that are meaningful to groups and individuals right now. The platform will also serve as an arena for contemporary communication. As the project develops, object memories will be directly accessible through tagged artefacts, as well as through browsing and keyword searches on the project website. Participants will be able to communicate via the TOTeM platform. On a practical level, the platform can bring together people who already share an interest in certain objects, times, or places (e.g. collectors, amateur historians, genealogists, as well as academics). In addition, we hope that the novelty of TOTeM’s approach to objects may encourage some of those individuals for whom non-participation in the digital world is not a question of access but one of apathy and perceived irrelevance (Ofcom 3). Tales of Things: Pilots Since the beginning of this research project, we have begun to construct the TOTeM platform and develop the associated tagging technology. While the TOTeM platform is being built, we have also used this time to conduct a pilot “tale-telling” phase, with the aim of exploring how people might choose to communicate object stories and how this might make them feel. In this initial phase, we focus on eliciting and constructing object tales, without the use of the TOTeM platform or the tagging technology, which will be tested in a future trial. Following Thomson and Holland’s autoethnographic approach, in the first instance, the TOTeM team and advisors shared their own tales with each other (some of these can be viewed on the TOTeM Website). Each of us chose an object that was personally significant to us, digitally recorded our object memories, and uploaded videos to a YouTube channel for discussion amongst the group. Team members in Edinburgh subsequently involved a group of undergraduate students in the pilot. Here, we offer some initial reflections on what we have learned from recording and sharing these early TOTeM tales. The objects the TOTeM team and advisors chose independently from each other included a birth tag, a box of slides, a tile, a block of surf wax, a sweet jar from Japan, a mobile phone, a concert ticket, a wrist band, a cricket bat, a watch, an iPhone, a piece of the Berlin Wall, an antique pocket sundial, and a daughter’s childhood toy. The sheer variety of the objects we selected as being personally significant was intriguing, as were the varying reasons for choosing the objects. Even there was some overlap in object choice, for instance between the mobile and the iPhone, the two items (one (relatively) old, one new) told conspicuously different stories. The mobile held the memory of a lost friend via an old text message; the iPhone was valued not only for its practical uses, but because it symbolised the incarnation of two childhood sci-fi fantasies: a James Bond-inspired tracking device (GPS) and the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. While the memories and stories linked to these objects were in many ways idiosyncratic, some patterns have emerged even at this early stage. Stories broadly differed in terms of whether they related to an individual’s personal experience (e.g. memorable moments or times in one’s life) or to their connection with other people. They could also relate to the memory of particular events, from football matches, concerts and festivals on a relatively local basis, to globally significant milestones, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall. In many cases, objects had been kept as tokens and reminders of particularly “colourful” and happy times. One student presented a wooden stick which he had picked up from a beach on his first parent-free “lads’ holiday”. Engraved on the stick were the names of the friends who had accompanied him on this memorable trip. Objects could also mark the beginning or end of a personal life stretch: for one student, his Dub Child vinyl record symbolised the moment he discovered and began to understand experimental music; it also constituted a reminder of the influence his brother had had on his musical taste. At other times, objects were significant because they served as mementos for people who had been “lost” in one way or another, either because they had moved to different places, or because they had gone missing or passed away. With some, there was a sense that the very nature of the object enabled the act of holding on to a memory in a particular way. The aforementioned mobile phone, though usually out of use, was actively recharged for the purposes of remembering. Similarly, an unused wind-up watch was kept going to simultaneously keep alive the memory of its former owner. It is commonly understood that the sharing of insights into one’s personal life provides one way of building and maintaining social relationships (Greene et al.). Self-disclosure, as it is known in psychological terms, carries some negative connotations, such as making oneself vulnerable to the judgement of others or giving away “too much too soon”. Often its achievement is dependent on timing and context. We were surprised by the extent to which some of us chose to disclose quite sensitive information with full knowledge of eventually making these stories public online. At the same time, as both researchers and, in a sense, as an audience, we found it a humbling experience to be allowed into people’s and objects’ meaningful pasts and presents. It is obvious that the invitation to talk about meaningful objects also results in stories about things and people we deeply care about. We have yet to see what shape the TOTeM platform will take as more people share their stories and learn about those of others. We don’t know whether it will be taken up as a fully-fledged communication platform or merely as an archive for object memories, whether people will continue to share what seem like deep insights into personal life stories, or if they choose to make more subversive (no less meaningful) contributions. Likewise, it is yet to be seen how the linking of objects with personal stories through tagging could impact people’s relationships with both the objects and the stories they contain. To us, this initial trial phase, while small in scale, has re-emphasised the potential of sharing object memories in the emerging network of symbolic meaning (Weinberger’s “context of meaning”). Seemingly everyday objects did turn out to contain stories behind them, personal stories which people were willing to share. Returning to Weinberger’s quote with which we began this article, TOTeM will enable the traces of material experiences and relationships to become persistently accessible: giving something away would no longer mean entirely not having it, as the narrative of the object’s significance would persist, and can be added to by future participants. Indeed, TOTeM would enable participants to “give away” more than just the object, while retaining access to the tale which would augment the object. Greenfield ends his discussion of the potential of ubicomp by listing multiple experiences which he does not believe would benefit from any technological augmentation: Going for a long run in the warm gentle rain, gratefully and carefully easing my body into the swelter of a hot springs, listening to the first snowfall of winter, savouring the texture of my wife’s lips … these are all things that require little or no added value by virtue of being networked, relational, correlated to my other activities. They’re already perfect, just as they stand. (258) It is a resonant set of images, and most people would be able to produce a similar list of meaningful personal experiences. Yet, as we have already suggested, technology and meaning need not be mutually exclusive. Indeed, as the discussion of TOTeM begins to illustrate, the use of new technologies in new contexts can augment the commercial applications of ubiquoutous computing with meaningful human communication. At the time of writing, the TOTeM platform is in the later stages of development. We envisage the website taking shape and its content becoming more and more meaningful over time. However, some initial object memories should be available from April 2010, and the TOTeM platform and mobile tagging applications will be fully operational in the summer of 2010. Our progress can be followed on www.youtotem.com and http://twitter.com/talesofthings. TOTeM looks forward to receiving “tales of things” from across the world. References Bourdieu, Pierre. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. London: Routledge, 1984.Bruns, Axel. “The Future is User-Led: The Path towards Widespread Produsage.” fibreculture 11 (2008). 20 Mar. 2010 ‹http://www.journal.fibreculture.org/issue11/issue11_bruns_print.html›. Dodson, Sean. “Forward: A Tale of Two Cities.” Rob van Kranenburg. The Internet of Things: A Critique of Ambient Technology and the All-Seeing Network of RFID. 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