Leading Active RFID vendor, Intelleflex, recently announced a joint solution with Minds for the automated tracking of crop harvesting.
The harvesting of crops is a time sensitive operation that requires coordination between growers, harvesters, and transportation vehicles to obtain the maximum yield from each harvest.
Having an efficient harvesting operation is one of the major components to preventing spoilage of fresh produce before reaching the consumer. However, reliance on manual tracking methods can hinder coordination and slow production in the field, which has a direct effect on product life.
Intelleflex and its partner, Minds Inc., have developed an RFID enabled telematics solution for the real-time monitoring of crop harvesting operations. The solution combines GPS, RFID and wireless communications technologies to provide real-time visibility into the operational efficiency and coordination between harvesters and transport vehicles.
The solution combines the best of GPS, RFID and wireless communications technologies to provide real-time visibility into field harvesting activities anywhere, anytime. Using this solution, growers and harvesters can track the exact location, timing and efficiency of each harvester, as well as the arrival, loading and departure time of crop transport vehicles.
"In the crunch of harvest time, people are focused on the task at hand (i.e. the harvesting of crops), and not the tracking, recording and communications of operational data. As a result, there is often a lack of the information required to ensure the most efficient operation," said Pierre Vidaillac, president of Minds Inc. "Leveraging our success with Intelleflex in tracking hot mix asphalt for the road construction industry, we were able to develop a solution that is specifically designed to track the harvesting of crops in the field."
The benefits of the solution includes:
Real-time Harvester Status
The solution provides total visibility on location, speed, and efficiency of each harvester in your fleet. With this solution, you can get a map or satellite view of your operation as crops are being harvested in real time!
Monitor Crop Transport Vehicles
With detailed, real-time information, you can monitor when a delivery truck arrives at the harvester, its loading time, and when it departs. With the ability to assess the truck fleet in real time, you can instantly obtain the information you need to ensure operational efficiency.
Access to Data Anywhere, Anytime
Location, time, efficiency, and other statistical data about the harvester and trucks are automatically uploaded over wireless networks. This data can easily be integrated into local applications or existing and accessed from anywhere using a web browser and even on mobile phones.
"This is a great example of how today's business needs are driving the usage of RFID and complementary technologies. While GPS provided exact location finding capabilities for the harvester, it did not by itself deliver a cost effective, event-driven solution to track the arrival and departure of transport vehicles at the harvester," said Sam Liu, marketing director at Intelleflex. "By adding our Extended Capability RFID into the solution mix, we fill that need, and deliver significant incremental value."
Using the Intelleflex and Minds' solution, GPS units and RFID readers are mounted on harvesters to track their whereabouts in the field as well as the arrival, loading and departure times of transport vehicles. The information is then transmitted wirelessly for immediate access anywhere, anytime - over the web and mobile phones.
Related Links:
Intelleflex (www.intelleflex.com) is the leader in Extended Capability RFID solutions, products and technologies. Their Intelligent RFID Platform, comprising high performance multi-protocol tags and readers, enables solutions for equipment and vehicle yard management, reusable transport items tracking, personnel monitoring and other high-value asset tracking applications. It features range, reliability, memory capacity and security far beyond standard passive RFID, and at a fraction of the cost of active.
Minds (www.mindsinc.ca) is a leader in automation and information technologies applied to the road construction and agriculture industry with operations in Europe and North America. Their eRoutes online information platform is changing the way critical information is captured and shared in operations and related activities.
