RFID At The Gates: RFID technology helps gated communities control access

Title of journal: RFID: A Key to Automating Everything.

Author: Roy Want

Summary prepared by: Nabil Assila Binti Amran

10 August, 2011

Residential gated communities are growing in popularity and the most overwhelming reason people are purchasing homes in gated communities is the sense of security – limited volume of traffic in a neighborhood and controlled access to the streets. But managing access to these communities presents many challenges. Entry to a gated community is typically a manual process – burdensome and subject to errors i.e. forgotten passwords and lost “clickers” to the outright transfer of access credentials. Manual processes using papers and logbook is so much disorganized.

Taking this problem into an opportunity, Radiant RFID and GateSource Corporation together have developed a modern, passive solution for the gated communities. Radiant RFID’s system communicates via GateSource’s Web services to validate tags and assign further instructions to readers and gates. The RFID system uses an interrogator antenna at the gate to read the vehicle-mounted RFID tag and match the tag number against a database of permissible entrants to the neighborhood. Valid tag numbers will then lift the gate automatically.

Kenneth Ratton, VP of Sales & Marketing with Radiant RFID said:

“We’ve never had any downtime with this system, and it requires zero maintenance.”

 

The RFID-controlled community access solution has bring about many of the expected benefits. First and foremost, the system delivers precise tracking and control of community access. Each tag issued is unique to a vehicle, and the data captured at the gate creates a detailed access log, updated on the web-based application every 10 minutes, enabling nearly real time information. Bonnie Carlisle, president of Southwest Management Services – a community association management company serving large, gated communities in Texas, stated that the RFID technology provides a promising security as there is no ambiguity about who is accessing those communities.

Secondly, the online administration saves time for managers and residents. Even issuing and activating tags is done through the GateSource online software.

Lastly, Carlisle stated that the residents of these gated communities take satisfaction in knowing access is controlled with a system that is easy to use.

On top of these benefits, the work of GateSource, Radiant RFID and Metalcraft has produced a

solution that as Ratton said:

“...something that cost less and is much easier to use.”

He added, the more important thing is Radiant RFID and Metacraft has helped gated communities realize their promise to limit the volume of traffic in a neighborhood and controlling who has access to the streets.

    Details:

·         Material: .002” thick white polypropylene

·         Affixing Methods: .0035” thick low surface energy, pressure-sensitive adhesive.

·         Environment: Mild and moderate. Resists moderate solvents and caustics/acids.

·         Numbering Options: Copy only, serialized/unserialized numbers and bar code with human readable numbers

·         Production Time: 15 work days

·         Standard Sizes: 4" x 1", 4 3/8" x 1 1/8"

·         RFID Specs: Passive UHF

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          References:

1. www.barcode-rfid-labels.com/rfid_windshield.htm 
2. www.rfid-in-china.com/products_703_1.html  
3. www.idplate.com/rfid-tags-and-rfid-labels/.../rfid-windshield-tag
4. Journal : RFID: A Key to Automating Everything by W.Roy