Spring 2006

Data capture used to be a localised function - something done in factories, warehouses, stores. Mobile computing has stretched the bounds far wider, and brought new demands for integrating capture and transmission. Sharon Clancy catches up with the latest developments

Not too long ago, mobile data capture was a relatively simple activity. Assets or products carried barcodes read by a scanner, and consignees signed pieces of papers as proof of delivery. Data downloading was done periodically, in batches: usually either at the end of a picking operation, or (in mobile applications) when a delivery vehicle returned to base.

Now there are so many scanning and data transfer options that it has become a real challenge to pick the one most appropriate for the application. Scanning devices range from one-dimensional linear scanners to two-dimensional imagers, lasers and the latest RFID readers.

Meantime, mobile data capture systems have developed to handle the increasing need to collect data outside the warehouse. That activity can involve anything from collecting a proof of delivery signature to photographing an image of a house to prove attempted delivery, or one of a damaged parcel or item. That data then has to be sent back to the office.

 

Data input

Linear barcode scanners have long formed the backbone of any warehousing operation, thanks to their extreme reliability. Laser scanners have proved popular in retail environments and on productions lines. Linear scanners are good at capturing data even from poor-quality barcodes and in poor light, whereas lasers generally score higher on long-range performance and speed. However, the latest scanning technologies are blurring these traditional battle lines somewhat.

According to Psion Teklogix, about 80 per cent of warehouse barcode read-ranges occur at less than a metre, and are thus remain ideally suited for one-dimensional (1D) image capture. Psion's 1D EV15 imager for its 7535 scammer incorporates an illumination system to give a bright and sharp aiming line even in poor light conditions. There are no moving parts, and the mean-time-before-failure rate of the imager is claimed to be 250,000 hours. The EV15 has a 10mil reading distance of 36cm (14 in) and a 40mil reading distance up to 90cm (35 in).

However, interest in 2D barcode technology, where several lines of information can in effect be placed on top of one another, is growing. They can carry more data than a 1D barcode, and as such are becoming popular for tasks such as product traceability. Two-D array scanners are also ideal for tasks such as signature and image capture in POD applications.

According to Don Flynn, vice president of business development for Hand Held Products: "Linear imagers deliver all the functionality of laser imagers for reading barcodes in terms of scan speed, scan performance, depth of field and snappiness. Today's linear imagers are reading linear codes as well as or better than traditional lasers, but they are doing it at lower unit costs. The total cost of ownership is much lower because they have no moving parts and they just don't break."

Hand Held Products has developed a range of omni-directional 2D imagers which can also take photos and capture signatures. The 2D imagers incorporate HHP's latest 5X00 image engine, which has a higher image resolution, is more tolerant of motion, and has enhanced reading capability even in low light; a faster reading speed; and a greater depth of field.

HHP says the trend is to match specific scanning needs with the most appropriate technology. "Imager scanners might only be capable of reading barcodes, but it is a job they do extremely well," Flynn says.

Psion's latest 2D imager, the SX5303, is capable of reading linear, multi-row and Matrix Plus symbologies, and as such is typical of the modern trends where the handheld device needs to offer maximum flexibility in terms of data input methods.

Both Symbol and Intermec have introduced new scan engines to improve the performance of their laser scanners. Intermec says its MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) laser technology addresses some of the drawbacks traditionally associated with laser scanning.

"Traditional laser designs cannot accommodate separate lenses and mirrors, so the mirrors reflect and collect light, says Stuart Scott, Intermec's senior director for international marketing. "MEMS technology enables separate lens and mirror components to be built into the scanner, optimising the laser scanning processes."

The miniaturisation and solid state properties of the EL10's MEMS technology leads to greater durability and lower equipment failure rates as well, says Scott. The scan rate for Intermec's EL10 MEMs-scanner EL 10 is about 500 per second - approximately 14 times faster than traditional laser scanners, says Scott, and five times faster than traditional high-speed models.

Symbol's latest SE950 and SE955 scan engines use liquid polymer technology to improve performance. Symbol says LP scan speed can be adapted to suit each scanner, and the size of the engine means a large mirror can be incorporated, which will allow more reflected light from the barcode to be captured, enhancing performance in poor light conditions. Symbol reckons a scan rate of 100 per second provides enough responsiveness for most operations while maintaining a good quality of signal.

WLAN

Whatever scanning system is used, there's no doubt that the introduction of the 802.11b WLAN (wireless local area network) standard for wireless networks has transformed data capture in the warehouse. The wide bandwidth and faster data transfer rates make real-time communication possible, replacing batch-processing with all its drawbacks.

Next on the horizon are wireless architectures that will consolidate Wi-Fi, RFID, VoWLAN networks into one integrated RF switching platform. Symbol says integrated architecture will become essential to cope with growth in the RFID market, which is predicted to reach $2.5bn by 2009, and in the WLAN business market is expected to be $2.9bn by the same date.

RFID

RFID (radio frequency identification) remains the holy grail for item-level goods tracking - attractive, but still expensive because of the cost of the tags themselves. In the meantime, however, RFID is fast establishing itself in other parts of the supply chain.

Systems based on narrow or broadband radio frequencies have been around for many years, of course, whether for capturing and sending mobile data to forklift trucks or within systems for tracking the whereabouts of road-going vehicles and trailers.

Active RFID is the technology on which the new applications tend to be based. Active tags contain their own miniature power source, so are broadcasting all the time to any reader capable of picking up the signal.

Indeed, one of the advantages of RF and RFID data capture is low ongoing communications costs. Every time a load arrives at a site or delivery address, the WLAN or RFID network knows it is there. Nobody has to poll the vehicle to discover its whereabouts and pay a communication charge to a mobile network operator to find out.

According to independent analyst IDTechEx, the market for active RFID systems will grow from $0.5 billion in 2006 to $6.78 billion 2016. IDTechEx has identified three key markets for active RFID: real-time location, disposable RFID sensor systems, and sophisticated systems using multifunctional devices for tracking, locating and monitoring people and things. IDTechEx also believes the automotive, transport and logistics sectors will be early adopters.

Growth is being helped by the emergence, finally, of European and global RFID standards. ISO 18000 EPC Types 3 and 4 and IEEE 802.15.4. RFID frequencies 315 to 433 MHz and 2.45 GHz are the most popular for active RFID at present.

"2.45 GHz will be increasingly important because of its suitability for real-time location systems," says IdtechEx, "and because of the increased use of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology in active RFID."

Andy McBain, Symbol's RFID product manager, agrees that logistics operations will be early adopters. "RFID is penetrating the logistics market because companies can see a clear ROI on which to make their investment case. Logistics companies can justify RFID for a closed-loop internal system. It doesn't have to be part of a big supply chain initiative involving other partners. The tags used to track 10 pallets in and out of a depot are not 10p tags, but they are reusable and they provide accurate data, which helps make the ROI case."

The hold-up to faster deployment is, says McBain, still at governmental level; only seven countries, including the UK, have approved the relevant RFID standards. "The current situation is similar to the introduction of 802.11, which started in smaller countries that were prepared to grant licences."

According to McBain, parcels delivery companies and 3PLs have the most implementations. "The logistics industry is benefiting from the work retailers have done on their own back-end systems in the warehouse - lots of the teething troubles have already been worked through."

For postal companies, RFID enhances the services they already deliver with barcode technology and, in fact, replicates barcode use. For couriers and overnight operations, it can speed up booking and allow later cut-off points (because hub transactions can be faster). RFID automates the hub process, whether in two-day or next-day delivery operations.

Handheld computer companies are already planning for more RFID demand. Psion Teklogix, for example, has teamed up with Tagsys to offer portable RFID terminals for the distribution and logistics industries based on current models such as the Workabout Pro RFID. "You may not want or need RFID now," says managing director Duncan Smillie, "but in two or three years, your operational needs may change. Making scanners and handheld computers RFID-ready future-proofs your investment."

GPRS

Real-time data capture in the field relies on GPRS technology. One of the drawbacks, however, is that the networks do not monitor whether a data message sent actually arrives.

Push technology has proved the solution, and involves configuring a communications server up to confirm that data packets do arrive. Push systems were first deployed by developers targeting courier companies (DA Systems and Talecom, for example) and by managed service providers such as Cognito and Telepartner. DA Systems has now developed a slimline custom protocol with hand-shaking and retry strategies.

"The data packet radio networks have low bandwidth and so low data loss characteristics," explains Dave Upton, technical manager. "This means that data is transferred at high speed with no in-transfer data loss. Both the client and server will keep sending a message until a confirmation is received from its peers."

DA Systems says 400 messages can be sent over the air for the equivalent cost of one SMS text message (this based on prices of £1 per MB on a GPRS tariff and 10p per SMS).

The future

The is certainly going to be no lack of choice in data capture methods. In future, time that was spent trying to adapt a data capture system to your business needs will give way to time spent trying to identify which data capture method suits that part of the business. But that is progress.

Pen systems - an alternative approach

When Destiny Wireless first launched its pen-style data capture devices in the UK, many thought using a pen as a mainstream data capture device was gimmicky. But Destiny now has over 200 live implementations with users ranging from home care social workers through to field service engineers and police inspectors.

The device works via a built-in camera under the nib of the pen. The camera captures handwritten notes and signatures and stores them as graphics files. The data can be sent back to the office via a Bluetooth connection to the user's mobile phone. It can then be converted into a text file and stored.

Now the company has added a "Photo Upload" feature. A Bluetooth connection allows images taken on a mobile phone camera to be attached to digital documents. The pen captures and stores the handwritten information from a customised digital form, and then sends it to the mobile phone as usual. Once the data has been successfully validated, users are prompted to attach a photo from those stored on their mobile phone. All selected photos, along with the associated form, are then transmitted to Destiny servers for full processing. Multiple photos can be attached to a single digital form and image attachment can be optional or mandatory.

Destiny chief executive Edward Belgeonne comments: "Instead of having to draw diagrams of faults, incidents or layouts, users can attach an instant photo. This greatly improves the speed and accuracy of reporting."