Japan firms to test radio-tagged luggage

Singapore's Changi, Amsterdam's Schiphol and New York's John F. Kennedy International airports will later this year take part in an experiment testing radio-tagged luggage.

The test is part of a plan by a newly formed consortium of Japanese firms to promote RFID (radio frequency identification) tags on passenger luggage, according to a report on Nikkei Electronics News.

Radio tagging of luggage could revolutionize the sorting and routing of luggage, the report said. If RFID technology were fully integrated into currently disparate systems, bags could be picked up from travelers' homes by courier, processed and then loaded into the aircraft without further involvement of the passenger, the report added.

This "hands-free" delivery of luggage will be tested this year by the new Advanced Airport Systems Technology Research Consortium. It comprises 58 Japanese transport-related and electronics firms such as the Narita Airport Authority, Japan Airlines (JAL), All Nippon Airways (ANA), Omron, Dai Nippon Printing, Fujitsu and Matsushita Electric.

Testing will start later this year and carry on for the next five years, the report said.

The Narita Airport Authority is aiming to commercially launch the system in two to three years, according to Nikkei News.

Japanese firms are at the forefront of RFID technology. Hitachi, for example, is rumored to be developing a speck-sized radio chip to be embedded into Euro notes as a security measure. At a recent Japan trade show, a demonstration of RFID technology allows retailers to track the movements of a consumer in a book store.

CNETAsia staff reported from Singapore.

ASTREC:Advanced Airport Systems Technology Research Consortium

This is the first time that I have written to you.
I represent "Advanced Airport Systems Technology Research Consortium" (ASTREC) .
Research activities are conducted jointly by the airport operator, airlines, home-delivery companies, RFID technology related companies and system vendors under the direction and cooperation of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) and other respective government agencies.
Our home page has plenty of information about RFID ,airport system and trial report.
If you are interested, why don't you take a look?
Here is the address. (http://www.astrec.jp/en/index.html)
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