UNCONTAINED: Time to cut the cord?
Read ideas #1 and #2 here.
#3. While the wireless sensor technology mentioned in the press release below describes applications for consumers, I see potential for use in food and beverage manufacturing plants as a way to remotely monitor packaging machinery for preventive maintenance.
Emerging Wireless Sensor Network Platform Technology Successfully Piloted, Available for Licensing
Washington, DC (USA), London (UK), Beijing, (China), Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Johannesburg (South Africa) [September 15, 2008]
A unique combination of wireless technologies will allow the next generation of cell phones, PDAs, or wireless laptops to be used as readers for virtually any sensor application, ranging from glucose testing with a cell phone to remote temperature checking of an appliance in a secondary home, using a laptop.
Gentag Inc. has successfully tested a broad platform including multi-band cell phone technology and Wi-Fi devices combined with a new disposable, battery-less (or passive) wireless RFID sensor platform and proprietary web software, thereby allowing real time scanning of low-cost wireless RFID 13.56 MHz sensors for virtually any consumer application -- anywhere in the world.
The technology, which is described in part in US Patent 7,148,803, combines emerging multi-protocol and multi-function cell phone technology with a new disposable wireless RFID sensor platform with external analog and digital ports and Gentag's web software that allows real-time web-based overlays of geolocation information, unique ID information, sensor data, pictures, and software.
"Using this unique technology combination creates an immediate global market opportunity for consumer-based cell phone market applications integrating instant item authentication with sensor data," stated Dr. John Peeters, the founder of Gentag.
"Our technology platform will allow cell phones, PDAs, and wireless laptops to be used as universal low-cost diagnostic devices for medical applications such as fever monitoring, glucose testing or Point-of-Care (POC) assays."
Because the technology is based on either multi-band cell phone technology or Wi-Fi, it will self-adapt to any network or carrier anywhere. The technology is also customizable to virtually any application or consumer need, is "transparent" or very easy to use for the consumer, is scalable, and can include instant software updates for complex sensor applications. Since the wireless sensor platform can be used without a battery (it is passive) and is disposable, this technology is anticipated to displace more expensive wireless technologies such as Bluetooth for many sensor applications.
Selected testing of the technology is planned over the coming months, and the technology could be distributed directly to the public via wireless carriers or cell phone OEMs. The RFID sensors are also expected to be commercially available within the coming months.
For a demonstration of the technology, licensing, or for partnership opportunities, please contact Gentag at info@gentag.com. For media inquiries contact Marc Onigman at (+1) (617)-413-2830.
Gentag
Gentag, Inc. is a technology development company focusing on the creation of innovative, low-cost, wireless sensor technologies based on cell phones. The company owns a unique intellectual property portfolio relating to cell-phone sensor combinations and wireless sensor networks and was recently awarded Frost & Sullivan's 2008 North American Award for Technology Innovation. For more information, visit Gentag Inc..
