Practically neighbor to Barcoding, Inc., Johns Hopkins’ opened its new 1.6 million-square-foot building earlier this month. Equipped with a real-time location system (RTLS), the hospital is able to monitor their staff, equipment and carts throughout the building.

The RTLS solution is a hybrid of infrared (IR) and RFID technology and emplys asset tags, employee badges, IR and RFID readers and software to manage the data. Tags send an IR signal to IR sensors located within an area of the building, while simultaneously sending RFID transmission via 433 MHz to RFID sensors. For every 10 IR sensors, there is one RDID sensor, providing room-level accuracy. For every 24 sensors, a collector captures IR read data and forwards the information to a gateway, which is then sent directly to a back-end system via a wired connection.

The RTLS system allows for nearby nurses to be alerted in the event of a patient needing immediate assistance. The first nurse who enters the room will cancel the alert, as the RFID sensors will recognize which nurse has arrived. In addition, by logging into the system via a computer, staff can view the real-time location of other workers and equipment.

In addition to tracking staff and equipment, the RTLS plays a huge roll in Johns Hopkins’ food-service system. Towlines were constructed within tunnels beneath the hospital, automating the deliver of approximately 400 food carts. The carts even have a hot and cold compartment and software can be configured to detect when the temperature exceeds an acceptable level. Once the cart passes through the tunnel and arrives at its appropriate location, food service staff is alerted and proceed to deliver food.

Johns Hopkins is happy with their RTLS solution, but plans to reevaluate later this summer, determining the next phase of adoption—and potential—for the hospital.

Learn more about RTLS solutions.

The Washington Nationals recently upgraded their fan experience by adding RFID into the mix. Now, fans can manage their tickets, food and beverage purchases using RFID and are able to receive special rewards and offers.

The solution replaces paper tickets with a high-frequency (HF) RFID card, reducing the amount of time fans spend in line to enter the park. For now, the RFID system is being piloted with season ticket holders.

When season ticket holders enter the park, they simply need to have their RFID-enabled card through them and walk through an automated turnstile. From there, fans can use their card throughout the game to make purchases. The more purchases, the more points—the more rewards.

“It’s not about getting fans through turnstiles,” says Andy Feffer, the Nationals’ COO. “It’s about looking at ticketing as a three-dimensional experience.”

RFID has become an increasingly popular method of ticketing. If you’ve had an RFID ticketing experience, share how it affected your enjoyment by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.

This year, attendees of Canada’s Bluesfest, held July 4-15, needn’t bring any cash. Rather than having festival-goers worry about having enough cash, attendees will be given Bluesbands.

What’s a Bluesband?
A Bluesband is an RFID wristband that will be at the Bluesdest, offering attendees event admission and cashless purchasing—straight from their wrist!

Using RFID wristbands will cut down on lines, and hopefully boost sales, as attendees needn’t worry about having enough cash.

RFID wristbands have also made an appearance at Coachella, Bnnaroo and Lollapalooza. Hopefully more festivals will adopt RFID wristbands as a convenience to both workers and attendees.

In the meatpacking industry, RFID is being used for accurate livestock traceability

Despite being years away from “The Jungle,” the meatpacking industry still receives a lot of criticism.

Meatpackers have had a lot of pressure placed on them by consumers and the media to provide a clear record of animals as they travel throughout the plant. With more consumers desiring organic products, meatpackers need to be ale to provide their buyers with accurate livestock traceability.

Because of this, RFID technology has made advances in the meatpacking industry, ensuring that animal traceability is kept in tact throughout the supply chain.

The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) manages the Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS), designed to eliminate animal disease. Before cattle leave their Canadian origins, each cow is tagged with a CCIA RFID tag. The RFID tag is connected to a user account in the CLTS database and information about the cow, such as birth date and other information can be updated as the tag is read.

By the time an individual cow reaches the slaughterhouse, there’s a complete record of its life. In order to process the cow into the plant, it simply needs to walk past an RFID scanner and the database is immediately updated, thus avoiding any paperwork or manual data-entry.

Advances in RFID have allowed the meatpacking industry to become safer and more reliable, keeping everyone in the supply chain, even the consumer, informed at all times.

Can RFID be used to help social causes?

I recently got word of “The Xtreme Project,” a contest for ideas on how to use RFID technology to positively impact a social cause. For example, RFID could be used in tracking the delivery of AIDS medication to poverty-stricken areas.

However, the deadline to enter is tomorrow—March 28, 2012—so think fast! The ideas will be evaluated and the top 3 will be selected and showcased at the RFID Journal LIVE! in Orlando, Florida from April 3-5 in the Xtreme RFID Booth, #104.

The winner’s prize package entails $5,000 worth of consulting time, RFID hardware, and tags. Enter The Xtreme Project contest and give your favorite social cause an RFID-based solution that can truly make a difference.