Novel way for libraries to save
Lost items and manual book scanning could be a thing of the past thanks to a powerful new scanning technology, developed by Monash University researchers, set to streamline library operations in Australia.
Dr Nemai Karmakar, from the Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering said, “We are just weeks away from finalising a complete low-cost library system that will revolutionise the library industry.”
Libraries looking to upgrade their manual check-in systems with a faster and more efficient system have been interested in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for some time. But at five times the cost, not all libraries can afford this.
For the last year, Dr Karmakar and his team have been developing a chipless RFID system that is cheaper, smaller and faster than any other on the market. The library project is funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC).
The new chipless RFID tags use ‘backscatter’ technology, which significantly reduces the costs by replacing the expensive microchip in standard RFID tags with a series of printed silver squares on paper or plastic. Its large 24-bit capacity can support up to 16 million entries.
“While this has been a major milestone, the challenge up until now has been to develop a scanner that is powerful enough to read the antennae on the tag which is so small,” said Dr Karmakar.
Now a high-frequency scanner is the key to unlocking the new chipless RFID’s potential for the library project.
“We are the first to integrate millimetre-wave scanner technology with the chipless RFID tag to make this more affordable for the Library industry. We can now offer tags as low as one cent. By comparison, standard RFID tags costs 50 cents and optical barcodes costs 10 cents per piece. When you’re dealing with millions of library entries, this could translate to millions of dollars saved – and that’s for Monash University alone,” said Dr Karmakar.
Dr Karmakar explained that the new chipless RFID system will make libraries more efficient.
“If somebody returns a book after-hours, the system will automatically update and notify the patron. You can put a stack of books on the smart trolley and it scans automatically. A librarian could sweep past the bookshelf and if an item is lost or misplaced it will notify via a series of beeps – this is not possible with optical technology.”
The new chipless tags work up to a distance of one metre with the current antennae. Dr Karmakar said they will be experimenting in the future to increase the range up to seven metres.
The ARC library prototype is due for completion within the next few weeks.
“There is unlimited potential to develop this technology for other industries in the future,” said Dr Karmakar.