ODIN Technologies Takes “Best in Show” at RFID Conference
The winners of this year’s RFID Journal Awards were announced at the annual RFID Journal LIVE! conference and exhibition earlier this week. The winner for Best in Show was ODIN Technologies for its self-inventorying SMART Container, a system that monitors items within a shipping container and then transmits that information to any ERP system via satellite, cellular and active RFID. The system, which can be easily integrated into a company’s existing supply chain network, uses a combination of technologies, including active and passive RFID, Wi-Fi, satellite, and GPS to provide item-level visibility inside a container anywhere in the world.
The SMART Container was developed for the Department of Defense for use in tracking military assets, and the US Navy is currently using it.
“Always knowing not only the location, but the contents of military containers down to the unit level at any point in transit is a major breakthrough in supply chain management for Military and Defense, and other industries that are soon to follow,” said Patrick J. Sweeney II, founder of ODIN, in a press release.
This level of visibility is a milestone for supply-chain security. Knowing the location and status of the contents of shipping containers could help the pharmaceutical industry by allowing companies to closely track assets and secure their supply chains. For those who are interested, a live example of the technology at work is currently available online.
For a commercial pilot launch, ODIN set up a website that enables visitors to track a container that left Hsinchu, Taiwan, on Apr. 16, 2009, and is en route to Denver, Colorado. Updates are sent to ODIN twice daily detailing the container’s location and the status of the contents inside. The system accounts for each of the 400 items inside and states whether the door remains closed. A detailed inventory showing each case within each pallet is also available. This is an example of the real-time updates that ODIN is receiving about this shipment. The company is also featuring a product video on You Tube.
