Abstract:

The rapid development of Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) technology enables radical transformation of the approach to object identification. Many industries are keen in considering the application of this technology to streamline their business operations. To meet industry’s growing needs for RFID professionals, an increasing number of learning programs related to RFID are being delivered at educational institutions. Most of these educational programs focus on the RFID fundamentals, RFID system development and programming, while the very important competence area expected of RFID professionals, i.e., knowledge of RFID deployment methodology and the related hands-on skills, is rarely addressed. This paper introduces an RFID deployment learning kit named RFIDDO – RFID Deployment Optimizer. This learning kit is designed to support delivery of basic knowledge of RFID system deployment and hands-on practical exercises. It addresses two major issues of RFID system deployment: 1) configuration of the RFID readers and antenna; 2) placement of the RFID tag on the targeted object.

Through the use of this learning kit, students will be able to acquire the requisite knowledge and competence for deployment of RFID systems in real situations that will deliver optimal performance. This learning kit has been used with proven results for two years in the educational programs of the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. About 60 undergraduate students and a similar number of postgraduate students use this learning kit each year.

Keywords:

e-learning, learning kit, radio frequency identification (rfid), rfid deployment.