22 June 2007
RFID tags help cars to say what’s wrong
Engineers at the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing have developed an rfid based approach which can tell mechanics which parts of a car need servicing.
The prototype, part of a EU funded project called PROMISE – Product Lifecycle Management and Information Tracking Using Smart Embedded Systems – has been presented at a European technology show. It can tell garage staff about the state of a car’s components using electronic tags inside the engine. When used with appropriate software, the system could speed servicing and identify which parts can be recycled or reused when the vehicle reaches the end of its life. And the researchers say that information from many vehicles would pinpoint which parts of a car need redesigning.
Professor Duncan McFarlane said: “Ultimately, motorists could be driving into a garage over a sensor, which would instantly tell both driver and garage staff which parts needed replacing and which might be good for several thousand miles more.
“But there are potentially great benefits beyond this. When the car is sent to be scrapped, for example, rfid tagging could be used to identify which parts still have a useful life left in them. The system will tell the car producer whether separate parts can be reused, recycled, or need to be disposed of in landfill. It will also highlight which parts need improving for a longer life.”
Author
graham pitcher
Supporting Information
Websites
http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk
Companies
University of Cambridge
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