Forklift Trucks as Mobile Radio Frequency Identification Antenna Gates in Material Flow

This contribution describes how Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is used to track and trace goods transported by forklift trucks. RFID hardware components are integrated in forklift trucks and goods carriers such as pallets and pallet cages. Information about transport and handling of goods can be stored locally within these goods carriers. New components, which are developed to join RFID functionality with forklift trucks´ control devices, are presented. Vehicle sensors and the RFID reader unit are then combined to form a new event-driven approach to integrate forklift trucks as a part of management assistant systems. Forklift trucks are enabled to communicate with these systems by means of a wireless LAN. It is also discussed how vehicle sensors can be displaced by using the RFID reader as a sensor.