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Projector Lights Radio Tags

August 23, 2004

Researchers from Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs have brought dynamic, computer-generated labels into the physical world with a combination of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and portable projectors.

Their Radio Frequency Identity and Geometry (RFIG) system consists of a hand-held projector that shines dynamic images onto physical objects of the user's preference, and radio frequency identification tags augmented with photosensors, which identify objects for the projector.

The system can be used to find and track inventory, guide robots or precision handling systems on assembly lines, locate small instruments and track movement of items in health care settings, track objects in homes, offices and libraries, and to augment games, according to the researchers.

To find an object, a user aims a radio frequency reader in the general direction of tagged objects, and the projector projects a dark image were there are no tags, and illuminates tags. The system allows the user to see a subset of tags among many tags, and it allows the user to differentiate among multiple tags responding to a radio-frequency inquiry.

The radio identification/photosensor tags can be as small as a grain of rice, according to the researchers.

A warehouse worker, for instance, could use the system to view the tag information on a set of objects and digitally mark the tags of selected objects with instructions for coworkers.

The tags could be used practically in two to three years, according to to the researchers. They are scheduled to present the work at the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) Siggraph 2004 conference in Los Angeles on August 8 to 12.

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