Dave Savastano08.17.10
SoftBattery, a thin, flexible, and eco-friendly power source developed by Enfucell, empowers a personal user interface device controlling KONE’s future elevator in the Finnish Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo.
The VisualRFID project consortium, initiated by RFIDLab Finland, and consisting of The Electria unit of Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Enfucell, Hansaprint, KONE and Sensor Center, has developed an RFID card with a display to control the pavilion’s people flow and elevators in a completely new way.
With the KONE Destination Concept, people can enjoy a personalized journey through crowded surroundings such as elevators. Integrated access control and guidance information create a clear pathway to a selected destination. A personal destination device provides a user with personal destination options according to their given access rights. The system can also provide personalized information, which assists the user with indoor navigation throughout the building.
The solution is a personal, energy efficient destination card, which consists of an e-paper display, RFID chip and an ultra-thin, environmentally friendly SoftBattery by Enfucell. All the components consume very little energy, which means that the destination card has a sufficient lifetime. Also, the production costs for the cards are extremely low – compared, for example, to mobile devices – no more than a few euros. The destination card is compatible with all standard RFID readers and has a reading distance of more than 10 meters, which means that one reader can easily cover a large area.
“This project shows what can be reached with newest technologies when knowledgeable partners combine their visions and initiative”, said COO Risto Huvila, responsible for Enfucell global customer operations.
According to Marko Mattila, research manager of Metropolia, the same application could also be utilized at airports, shopping malls, cruises and sports events.
“This joint project was a prime example of how ambitious targets can be achieved on a tight schedule through the cooperation of people with the proper expertise. The Shanghai Expo provides a real-life field test while simultaneously showcasing the new destination concept that is the result of cooperation with KONE. And with visitors to the Expo coming from numerous countries, we can collect data on end-user experiences in a multicultural environment,” said KONE portfolio manager Jukka Salmikuukka.
The VisualRFID project consortium, initiated by RFIDLab Finland, and consisting of The Electria unit of Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Enfucell, Hansaprint, KONE and Sensor Center, has developed an RFID card with a display to control the pavilion’s people flow and elevators in a completely new way.
With the KONE Destination Concept, people can enjoy a personalized journey through crowded surroundings such as elevators. Integrated access control and guidance information create a clear pathway to a selected destination. A personal destination device provides a user with personal destination options according to their given access rights. The system can also provide personalized information, which assists the user with indoor navigation throughout the building.
The solution is a personal, energy efficient destination card, which consists of an e-paper display, RFID chip and an ultra-thin, environmentally friendly SoftBattery by Enfucell. All the components consume very little energy, which means that the destination card has a sufficient lifetime. Also, the production costs for the cards are extremely low – compared, for example, to mobile devices – no more than a few euros. The destination card is compatible with all standard RFID readers and has a reading distance of more than 10 meters, which means that one reader can easily cover a large area.
“This project shows what can be reached with newest technologies when knowledgeable partners combine their visions and initiative”, said COO Risto Huvila, responsible for Enfucell global customer operations.
According to Marko Mattila, research manager of Metropolia, the same application could also be utilized at airports, shopping malls, cruises and sports events.
“This joint project was a prime example of how ambitious targets can be achieved on a tight schedule through the cooperation of people with the proper expertise. The Shanghai Expo provides a real-life field test while simultaneously showcasing the new destination concept that is the result of cooperation with KONE. And with visitors to the Expo coming from numerous countries, we can collect data on end-user experiences in a multicultural environment,” said KONE portfolio manager Jukka Salmikuukka.