RFID in Japan

Pasco, bitcorn, and KDDI Network&Solutions announced that they will together develop a so-called Intelligent Manhole System. RFID tags will be embedded in manhole covers in order to support critical tasks in a disaster situation.

The tagged manhole covers are for example used to provide information about things buried underground like sewer pipes. Since the sytem is linked to a local government's GIS system, rescue workers can use a handheld RFID reader (possibly bluetooth-enabled) and mobile phones/PDAs to display the data stored in the tags as well as the relevant information from the GIS system (e.g., photo maps, scheme drawings of a city's lifeline infrastructure). Such an information system may help repair damaged lifeline infrastructure quicker.

btw, here's a photo collection of Japanese manhole covers.

via KDDI Network & Solution's press release, March 27, 2006.

Posted by konomi at March 28, 2006 01:51 AM | TrackBack