Prosegur Security, a global provider of security technology, has launched a next generation retail-specific overhead RFID Smart Exit that has proven itself in the metal-heavy world of aircraft manufacturing with accuracy of between 99% and 100%. The new system was invented by Dr. Sabesan Sithamparanathan, a Cambridge University scientist who has received Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2021 by the late Queen Elizabeth II for his scientific achievement.
“Achieving over 99% accuracy in RFID has been the holy grail of retail for the past 20 years, and I am thrilled that it is finally here,” said Tony D’Onofrio, CEO of Prosegur’s global retail business unit. “Dr. Sabesan’s invention has already been proven in some of the toughest and most demanding environments where top accuracy is non-negotiable, such as aircraft manufacturing and the medical field. Prosegur is able to bring this revolutionary RFID technology to the world of retail so that the full potential and promise of RFID can be realized both in terms of inventory tracking and asset protection.”
The unprecedented precision of Prosegur’s new RFID system is achieved through a wholly new patented approach to resolving dead spots present in RFID installations.
“Most RFID readers try to resolve gaps in coverage, often referred to as dead spots, by increasing the power and changing antenna parameters to minimize this effect,” explained Robert Simoneau, CTO of Prosegur’s Retail Division. “While this helps, in the real world this still only achieves about 95% accuracy. Dr. Sabesan’s ingenious approach has the result of moving null spots around in rapid succession using advanced signal processing so that the previously blind spots can be read. The technology is already used in tracking of metal parts in the presence of substantial metal fixtures and enclosures, the toughest environment for RFID signal to work properly, and has consistently achieved 100% read rates. This is the true game changer for RFID in retail that everyone has been waiting for.”
Prosegur’s revolutionary new RFID system was launched at the NRF Big Show in New York on January 14, 2023 and is now available on the market.
