RFID technology finds many applications across industries such as retail, supply chain and logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing but did you know that it can also be used to prevent the theft of bicycles? You might be familiar with RFID-based asset management systems, designed to identify and track valuable assets at businesses, best suitable for indoors however RFID-based Anti-theft solutions for e-bikes are designed to track your bike in real-time leveraging several RFID read zones, right from where it is parked.
Bicycle theft has become very common and a concerning issue in many global cities, such as London, Seoul, etc. To prevent the theft of e-bikes, city officials are deploying various technology-based solutions, and RFID, along with CCTV cameras, is the most preferred solution for obvious reasons.
How RFID-based Anti-theft Solution for e-Bikes Works?
An RFID technology-based anti-theft solution for e-bikes parked publically in metropolitan cities leverages an RFID chip/RFID tag embedded in the bike registration plate, which gives it a unique identity. This allows the owner of the bike to be identified and the bike tracked in real-time through multiple RFID read zones spread out in the area.
These RFID read zones are equipped with RFID fixed readers and CCTV cameras which help with locating the e-bikes/bicycles in case of theft.
In 2023, the Yangcheon district of Seoul, South Korea was witnessing multiple cases of e-bikes being stolen from various locations, predominantly outside schools and colleges. With 4363 cases in 2023 alone, which was way above the average 46 bicycle theft cases in each district, the city officials were looking for a technological solution that could deter bicycle theft in school areas. The use of RFID-based anti-theft solution allowed the district admin to curb such cases by accurately tracking stolen bikes with the help of RFID read zones and CCTV cameras.
How to implement the RFID-based Anti-theft solution for bicycles?
The anti-theft solution based on RFID technology is easy to implement as it comprises only a few hardware and software components.
RFID Hardware
- 1. RFID tags embedded with bicycle registration plate/bicycle
- 2. RFID readers deployed at various read zones
- 3. RFID antennas
- 4. CCTV cameras
- 5. Notification lights
- 6. Information signs
RFID Anti-theft Software
- 1. Mobile application for bicycle owners
- 2. RFID bicycle path analysis system to track the bicycle over multiple locations
The RFID bicycle path analysis system allows for tracking of bikes over a broad coverage area in case of theft and customers are notified on their smartphones via the mobile app.
BLE and UWB-based RTLS solutions are also helpful
Apart from RFID, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)--based RTLS and UWB (Ultra-wideband) - based RTLS systems can be deployed for tracking these bikes in real-time as well.
For using the BLE RTLS system, a BLE beacon tag is embedded with the bicycle, and through dedicated read zones (with BLE Readers/smartphone devices) at multiple locations, the bike can be tracked in real-time. BLE technology can offer a great read range, significantly higher than passive RAIN RFID systems, and requires minimum infrastructure as smartphone devices can be used as readers as well.
UWB-based RTLS system is also similar to BLE-based RTLS except it uses UWB (Ultra wideband) tags which offer precise localization over long ranges. UWB RTLS-based anti-theft solution can be easily deployed and UWB readers or smartphone devices that support UWB can be used for tracking and locating bicycles in real time.
Other Applications of RFID-based Anti-theft Solution
Apart from preventing theft of e-bikes or other bicycles, RFID-based anti-theft solutions can be deployed for various use cases. RFID-based asset management systems are highly popular in offices, schools, govt. Departments as well as businesses such as construction, fashion designing, luxury retail, etc.
In RFID-based asset management, similar to an RFID anti-theft solution, readers and tags and a software solution are leveraged to keep an eye on valuable assets and to ensure that every movement of that item is accounted for.
We offer customized Anti-theft software systems based on RFID and BLE/UWB RTLS.
If you’re looking for RFID-based solutions that help you with preventing bike/bicycle theft manage assets or secure jewelry items in a jewelry store, look no further than Ruddersoft.
At Ruddersoft, we offer customized anti-theft solutions based on RFID which can capture every detail of your asset and help you localize it in real-time. We also offer BLE and UWB-based RTLS solutions for real-time, accurate data on the movement of your asset/bike/bicycle.