RFID - Radio Frequency Identification
A subunit of Information Technology Research Institute within the Sam M. Walton College of Business. Click on link below for complete information:
RFID Research Center
BREAKING NEWS May, 2007: Imagine shopping without money, sales clerks or even cash registers. All you have to do is walk in, find your items and walk out. In the not-so-distant future, special technology within retail stores may help you find items you want, recognize these items when you leave without stopping to check out, and charge your bank account automatically.
The University of Arkansas RFID Research Center will collaborate with a major retail industry organization and a global supply chain association to explore the feasibility and value of using radio-frequency identification technology for item-level tagging of apparel and footwear. The project will generate greater inventory efficiency for retailers and product availability for consumers. Taken further, the research could lead to purchasing items without a cash register.
BREAKING NEWS: In May of 2007, The University of Arkansas RFID (radio-frequency identification) Research Center - along with research centers in Germany and Italy - is leading the efforts to found the Global RF Lab Alliance, a confederation of radio frequency-focused laboratories from around the globe. The Global RF Lab Alliance will focus on the retail and fast-moving consumer goods; automotive; aviation; logistics and courier express and parcel; cold chain; and pharmaceutical industries, among others. Read entire article here:
RFID Center Forms Global Alliance
Charter members also include the Center for Food Distribution and Retailing at the University of Florida; Georgia Tech Research Institute at the Georgia Institute of Technology; Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China; Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong; LIT Korea - Pusan National University, Pusan, South Korea.
University of Arkansas RFID Research Center
There are places in the United States that are synonymous with being pioneers and leaders in a particular industry or technology; Detroit and automobiles, Silicon Valley and information technology, Northwest Arkansas and retailing. Fayetteville is quickly becoming synonymous for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) because of its unique RFID Research Center.
The University of Arkansas RFID Research Center is distinguished as being one of only a few university research centers in the nation exclusively dedicated to RFID. The RFID Research Center's facilities include a 7,800-square-foot lab containing the latest RFID technology. The Center works hand-in-hand with leading companies including:
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Microsoft
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Intel
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ACNielsen
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Wal-Mart
With Wal-Mart and future companies persuing RFID implementation across their supply chains, there is a drastic demand in Northwest Arkansas for research, production, implementation, human resources, and information systems to bring RFID into all markets. This demand for RFID development will bring billions of dollars into Northwest Arkansas in coming years. For instance, companies in the Fayetteville area alone are expected to spend more than $3 billion in the next three years on RFID tags and computer systems related to RFID.
$3 billion spent in next three years on RFID tags
RFID is a wireless data collection technology that uses electronic tags to store data and identify items. These tags are like bar codes, because they are used to identify items. Unlike bar codes, which must be close to the scanner for reading, RFID tags are read when they are within the proximity of a transmitted radio signal. Tracking items at a distance reduces human contact points and increases efficiencies across supply chains. The benefits of RFID are substantial, including real-time product tracking, reduced pilferage, fresher delivery of perishable goods, and increased overall accuracy in inventory management. RFID is changing the way companies do business across multiple trades and has immediate industry applications in retail, pharmaceutical, defense, and public safety.
Fayetteville RFID Research Center Opening Ceremony 2005
Dr. Bill Hardgrave is the founder and director of the RFID Research Center and RFID Laboratory at the University of Arkansas. Hardgrave has worked extensively on a variety of RFID projects with companies in industries from retailing to manufacturing, transportation, and information systems. He also teaches newly developed RFID classes to undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Arkansas.
With strong university and industry ties, Fayetteville is at the epicenter of an explosion in development of RFID and is clearly positioned to become a global location for this technology. Multiple researchers and facilities are now experimenting and testing ways to improve and develop RFID tags and technology; and additional partnerships will stimulate greater advances in the RFID industry. To learn more about the unique opportunities in RFID technology in Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas, please contact the office of the Fayetteville Economic Development Council.
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