RFID tag specialist Omni-ID has launched a range of, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and LoRa-enabled devices. The Sense range of RFID devices uses sensors to transmit situational and status data over BLE, GPS, and open standard LPWAN communication protocols.
 
This allows the devices to be used within a broad variety of applications and IoT infrastructures. The devices are said to be powerful yet hugely energy efficient, enabling them to be used for up to five years within harsh and remote operating environments, reducing the cost and time required to replace devices in the field.
 
The range will include five devices serving two main application types – conditioning monitoring and asset management and logistics – with more product types to follow through the year.
 
The Sense LoRa products offer communications up to 15km in flat, open space, or 3 to 4km in an urban setting, and have a compact battery that lasts up to five years. The devices can be operated using a call button configuration, or range finder, making them suitable for facilities management and field service applications.
 
When using the GPS and accelerometer features, the devices will give positional accuracy of 3 to 5m upon movement.
 
In the asset management and logistics product set, the BLE product offers a communication distance of up to 200m and can link to wifi, LAN or cellular networks and to a cloud, or locally hosted client application server.
 
The UK company’s existing global client base has already shown interest in the application of its RFID devices for logistics, distribution and asset management within the automotive manufacture, oil and gas, mining, cold chain condition monitoring, facilities management, field operations, ports construction, emergency detection, worker safety and accountability, and fleet monitoring markets.
 
“Omni-ID pioneered passive identification and tracking technologies which are relied on by large organisations worldwide and will remain at the core of our business alongside newer IoT product developments,” said Tony Kington, Omni-ID’s CEO. “New IoT devices like the Sense family are complementary to the existing passive range and allow our customers to benefit from the connectivity and extended range of Bluetooth Low Energy, LoRaWan and other LPWAN technologies to create intelligent IoT solutions that are built to last.”
 
He said the Omni-ID’s R&D team had worked hard to develop high quality IoT devices that went well beyond what was currently available.
 
“I am delighted with the first products in the Sense range that have resulted,” he said. “Our clients from across the globe in a wide range of industries will benefit hugely from the accuracy, read ranges, network options and cost efficiencies offered by these new devices. I am confident that customers with ambitious IoT projects will benefit from Omni-ID’s rapid go-to-market abilities driven by our vertical, integrated structure which enables us to move quickly from design to delivery.”
 
Omni-ID has developed original, patented technologies for on-metal tagging to enable a broad range of applications to improve asset tracking, inventory management and material flow management. The UK company also has offices in the USA, Europe, India and China.