Masterclasses
The four optional expert-led Masterclasses are interactive consultancy sessions. At each Masterclass you will have the chance to handle many samples, and take away printed copies of presentations. They will ensure you get the most from the conference and leave with answers to your questions.
| Morning | Afternoon | |
| Tuesday November 4 |
Masterclass 1: Introduction to Active RFID |
Masterclass 2: Real Time Locating Systems and Ubiquitous Sensor Networks |
| Friday November 7 |
Masterclass 3: Batteries, Photovoltaics and Energy Harvesting for Active RFID |
Masterclass 4: An Introduction to Printed Electronics |
Masterclass One
Introduction to Active RFID
This Masterclass is a modestly technical introduction to the science and the markets for Active RFID and where they are going over the next ten years.
- What are the different types of Active tag system, their cost structure and advantages and disadvantages over passive?
- Why is this market growing much faster than RFID as a whole?
- What is the difference between traditional Active RFID, RFID enabled cellphones, Smart Active Labels/ Battery Assisted Passive tags, Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS) and Ubiquitous Sensor Networks (USN) and where are they headed?
- What are leading suppliers and users doing?
- Who is landing the biggest orders and from whom?
- What are the lessons of success and failure?
- Which are the hot countries and applicational sectors for Active RFID?
These and other questions will be answered by globally recognised experts in a participative session with many samples to examine.
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Masterclass Two
Real Time Locating Systems and Ubiquitous Sensor Networks
Powering the rapid growth of Active RFID will be Real Time Locating Systems and Ubiquitous Sensor Networks. This more technical session will examine the technologies and their pros and cons in detail.
- How do you choose between Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) and Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) and other signalling options for RTLS?
- Is it best to use one or more of these principles with Ultra Wide Band (UWB) or certain fixed frequencies, even sometimes working off an existing WiFi system?
- What are ZigBee and self calibrating RTLS?
- How will the technology advance for very different market needs in different industries?
- How do these options translate into split of market now and in future?
- What is the dream for USN from predicting and controlling disaster recovery to micro-climate in industrial greenhouses - and who is working on which aspect?
- What are the problems to tackle and which industries are early adopters?
- What are the forecasts are hundreds of billions of sensing tags in prospect for what?
These and allied questions will be answered by experts in a participative session with many samples to examine.
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Masterclass Three
Batteries, Photovoltaics and Energy Harvesting for Active RFID
Today virtually all active RFID tags contain a battery but boosting that battery with photovoltaics (PV) is increasingly used and the advent of PV that works from heat as well as light and low cost, flexible and even transparent PV will make it even more attractive for RFID.
- What are the options of battery shape, chemistry and performance?
- What are the PV options?
- PV is a form of energy harvesting but what others will be practicable for RFID and how will they work?
This participative session hosted by experts will show many samples and take a frank look at the advantages and disadvantages of what is and will be available, including their safety and environmental credentials.
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Masterclass Four
An Introduction to Printed Electronics
One day Active RFID will be entirely printed, including batteries, sensors, microprocessors and antennas.
It will even be printed directly onto things like 85% of barcodes today and other components,
such as displays will be printed on top when needed.
- When and why will this happen?
- What easier forms of printed and partially printed electronics will appear in the meantime?
- What companies are piling into this opportunity?
This session explains why printed and potentially printed electronics will transform lighting, power generation and passive RFID and replace the simpler silicon chips with something one tenth of the cost and sometimes with better performance including transistors operating at terahertz. Here we have edible, invisible, tightly rollable and fault tolerant electronics and much more besides, including replacing a great deal conventional print and revolutionising medicine even to create bionic man. This largely non technical Masterclass amaze you. It will show you how a huge new $300 billion market is being created, where you are in at the beginning. Many samples will be shown and case studies of success will be described.
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