Identity, Security, Payments, Biometrics, Smart Cards and Authentication News

Guided Robots

Monday, July 11, 2005

Terminator Robot

“Picture a typical playground. It’s a sunny day and kids are playing tag, smacking tetherballs around and hanging off the monkey bars. Now imagine this: There’s not a single parent or adult in sight, but a 3-foot, 260-pound robot on patrol instead.

Take a closer look and you’ll see the children wearing small electronic devices, tiny radio transmitters that signal the bot when the kids wander out of safe range. Equipped with a camera, the robot relays live video to a remote security facility. When a stranger approaches one of the children, the robot, controlled remotely, gets aggressive. On six wheels, it pursues the intruder, flashing bright lights and sirens and spewing a thick cloud of smoke. The cyber-guard snaps a few pictures, too.”

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iGPS and Egemin Automation have announced a partnership to develop an advanced and flexible RFID tracking system for warehousing and distribution centers worldwide.

The solution will combine iGPS pallets, embedded with GS1 standard compliant RFID tags, with Egemin automated guided vehicles (AVG) and RFID readers. The AVGs scan and track each of the pallets during transport, and can be dispatched to take products to a put-away location or immediately into an awaiting truck or railcar.

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Tests at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are underway to ensure that alarm beacons for firefighters and other emergency first responders will operate reliably while in the presence of other wireless devices.

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The City of Fort Worth, Texas has partnered with Radiant RFID to utilize its asset tracking solution, Virtual Asset Tracker, to inventory and locate all items purchased by the city using federal grant money.

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Research In Motion has officially launched BlackBerry 7.1 OS, the latest upgrade to its smart phone operating system.

Available today on BlackBerry App World, BlackBerry 7.1 offers a new content sharing application for NFC phone users called “BlackBerry Tag.” According to RIM, the app allows users to swap contact info, documents, photos, URLs, and invite friends to BBM by simply tapping their NFC-enabled handsets together.

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The Museum of London is teaming up with Nokia to equip its exhibits with NFC technology, according to Noknok.tv.

The new design will allow visitors to swipe their NFC-enabled handsets near special tags from Nokia to receive pictures, links and other downloadable info about a given exhibit, rather than wear the guided tour headset.

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Max Steinhardt, COO for campus card provider CBORD, has been named the company’s new president effective May 1. He succeeds Tim Tighe, who has served as a CBORD executive for more than 25 years.

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