In the past RFID systems have been short range devices, initially with ranges in centimeters and more recently in tens of meters. Trolley Scan have been offering passive transponders recently with ranges up to 23 meters when attached to metal, and a RFID-radar system with accurate range measurement ability of millimeters and operating ranges of up to 40 meters.

The type of problem this longer range version would need to address are the tracking and recovery of supermarket trolleys from the parking lots of a superstore, the location and recovery of airport luggage trolleys and the tracking of cows in pastures. Other problems have been the tracking of pleasure boats sailing from a harbour, tracking fishing boats in the sea from the land, tracking golf carts on a golf course and similar problems.

To get the longer range Trolley Scan have had to develop a small and lightweight transponder that can be made cheaply and even carried on the ear of a cow. Unfortunately the new system transponders have to use battery power as these ranges are beyond that of passive technology meaning the requirement to use as small a battery as possible but still get a long operating life.

The system comprises transponders attached to the items being tracked and a reader station where measurements are made and location determined. Radio waves do not like to travel through hard objects and so it is necessary to have the reader stations at high points where they can get a line of sight to the transponders. The higher the reader can be placed above the ground the longer the operating range. A chain of readers at different locations can be used so that the transponders are in touch with those closest to their location as they move. The readers are linked back to the base via a datalink so that plotting and management of the facility can be done from the comfort of an office.

There are other tracking systems around using complex technology like GPS etc, but the location data still needs to be communicated which adds further complexity and battery power. In the new Trolley Scan system the aim is to provide a very cheap method of position location with minimal infrastructure and yet very reliable.

The system is suited for slow moving items like boats and cows and is not going to work for high speed movement like tracking a soccer ball on the field.