WAREHOUSE SOLUTIONS

LXE Nears Completion of Forklift RFID Reader

LXE is in its final stage of developing a forklift RFID reader. LXE aims to make the reader with standardized, off-the-shelf components marketed to warehouse operators and retailers with extensive forklift operations. The system will likely be available in the fourth quarter of 2005.

The development has several strengths including a design that can withstand a demanding environment. Most of the physical constraints related to mounting a reader on the forklift have been resolved. The usability and performance are enhanced due to an innovative antenna design. The hardware was created with a multistep process in mind, so the system can adapt to the modes of the process with ease. The RFID subsystem is based on industry-standard components made available from Intel.

Challenges are still being faced, too. The complex set of read stages and modes are engineered into the reader design and hardware, but this needs to be migrated to general-purpose software as it becomes available. There are unresolved RFID IP issues and the RFID reader performance is based on a new and untested design. Companies will also want application-specific components.

This product's need for being application-specific is an example of what the future may hold for RFID hardware — more than just a generic portal reader and handheld readers. RFID software may also have to adjust in the future, moving away from an integration-based approach using RFID middleware to an application development focused approach.

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