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​Written by Lim Yeri
4STEC is a company that develops solutions based on RFID's automatic recognition technology. RFID is a technology that identifies objects or people using Radio Frequency (RF). The data of the target is stored in a tag and tracked with radio frequencies using a reader.
The biggest advantages of RFID are fast 'recognition speed' and a lot of 'data throughput'. In contrast to barcodes that need to be recognized by contacting one at a time, RFID can recognize multiple targets in a contactless manner through frequencies from tags. Distribution and logistics industries paid attention to the advantages of RFID. This is because it can efficiently monitor the entire production, distribution, storage, and consumption of products by using RFID instead of barcode.​

▲ Inditex, known for its SPA clothing brand ZARA, is widely known for its use of RFID systems. Inditex explains that it improves the efficiency of inventory management by identifying in real time what types and colors of clothes are being sold in stores through RFID tags attached to clothing. In addition, according to Inditex, this accumulated sales data can quickly identify which products are selling well and predict consumer demand.
Meanwhile, 4STEC, which was established in 2013, focuses on developing and distributing national records management systems and commodity management systems for public institutions using RFID. Before RFID was used, it was necessary to check non-electronic records and public institution items by attaching barcodes one by one, but after RFID was introduced, 4STEC explained that management efficiency has increased because records and items can be scanned at once. 4STEC emphasizes that the book management, which used to take two weeks in the past, has been shortened by one to two days.

"RFID is one of the tools that can realize this in the distribution and logistics industries amid the so-called 'information revolution' in the third wave. However, due to relatively high tag prices, RFID has not been fully commercialized, and 4STEC has targeted special areas called records management."

He also predicted that "4STEC’s system is currently delivered to the National Archives, the National Library of the National Assembly, the prosecution office, and some cities, counties, and districts. In the future, construction, university institutions, and military units are likely to use the RFID system."

RFID, forklift to smart farm.

4STEC is not only developing records management and commodity management systems for public institutions using RFID. A representative example is the 'porklift management system'. The forklift management system is an RFID system developed by Foestech to streamline logistics. The system was selected last year by Incheon Port Corporation's "Do Dream," a project to support start-up venture companies, and is currently in the midst of preparation (as of March 2017).

4STEC took hints from the development of a forklift management system in "the use of forklifts to transport most of the raw materials entering the manufacturing plant." 4STEC’s forklift management system checks whether the material receipt or delivery certificate matches the RFID tag value without having to take inventory of each pallet or product with RFID tags.

Using this system, real time tracking is also possible so that cargo can be efficiently located and loaded. It can detect the position of the forklift at a radius of 7 to 20 meters by attaching a sensor to the forklift, and also prevent danger through alarms. In other words, CEO Lee explains that through the forklift management system, not only the history management of product processes but also the safety can be improved.

In addition to the forklift management system, 4STEC is conducting a total of eight research tasks, including the development of a ginseng-grown smart farm system, a smart suit system for divers, warehouse management, and a material management system. At first glance, it is a different field. Why was 4STEC able to develop RFID systems in various fields? This is because it focused on strengthening its ability to develop middleware rather than applications.

Through data delivery and middleware

Middleware refers to software that connects different types of hardware, protocols, and communication environments in a distributed computing environment so that there is smooth communication between the application and the environment in which it operates. Simply put, the middleware used for RFID serves to process tag information collected by the reader and deliver it to the application (application).

▲ The Role of the Middleware

Middleware also plays a role in filtering data. If only one reader is used within an organization, the application also needs to write one dependant. However, as the amount of tags increases and the number of readers used increases, the amount of tag data collected increases. If all the data is delivered randomly, the network is overloaded. To avoid this problem, middleware filters and groups data (categorizing data by group) to deliver only the data that applications actually need. In other words, middleware provides "good use" of tag information that comes through a reader.

Middleware's role is like an adapter. Even if multiple readers are used or new readers are used by replacing readers, existing middleware allows applications to receive data without any problems. In addition, decisions on how to send recognized information are made through middleware, such as whether to use http communication or send it immediately. It is to put a platform called 'middleware' at the end of data collection to the application.

Meanwhile, there are U-Star, U-Ware, Smart RFID, and Smart IoT in the middleware of 4STEC. First of all, 'U-Star' is a middleware that was created to link tag data collected from RFID readers to systems. U-star controls fixed readers such as fixed sensors, which are commonly found at large mart entrances, to manage and monitor the entire RFID infrastructure. On the other hand, 'U-ware' is middleware in the form of a mobile server. U-Star and U-Ware were middleware acquired by CEO Lee in the form of transfer and transfer from their previous job before 4STEC, and in September 2016, the two models merged into one to become Smart RFID v1.0.

CEO Lee said, "We have previously separated middleware according to its utilization status, but in Korea, we do not need a wide-ranging format to separate middleware and use background of smart RFID's development background. "The capacity of the product line is wide enough to be managed by hundreds of readers, but the price range was high," he said. "By reducing it to a single program, we created a model that is both easy and inexpensive for users to use."

Smart IoT helps small and medium-sized businesses evolve.

The next target of 4STEC is the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. ERP is a computer system that automatically adjusts all company tasks from production to purchase, sales, funds and accounting by establishing an integrated computer database. By using ERP, an entity can effectively manage its management resources and further streamline its management.

But these high prices despite its benefits programs and why it is difficult to learn a lot of small and medium-sized companies are reluctant to introduce erp.Lee said, “The majority of small-to-medium businesses in particular additional production and does not require or other features ipkkoryang, shipments, focuses on the management wants to, but simply for it is to introduce that over one billion won in reality it is difficult.”

In order to solve this problem, CEO Lee began to devise a 'customized ERP' that can manage a small range of customers want based on their middleware in 2015. And the middleware developed like this is Smart IoT. Smart IoT plays a role in controlling and monitoring IoT-based hardware (RFID, Beacon, GPS, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, wearable, and smart device) and integrating it into programs.

CEO Lee explains that if data is collected with middleware, the main system can be left intact and only the parts that customers need can be managed even if equipment or facilities are changed. For example, it is possible to use existing barcodes without introducing RFID as sensor hardware.

Lee likened the customized ERP program to an 'Installment' and said, "The initial cost of introduction is lower to 80% of the current level because customized programs can be developed depending on the purpose of customer use." "You can add programs that you need at that time, and customers only have to pay the corresponding usage fee." He added, "Smart IoT is not a simplified ERP, but a way to identify what each company needs the most, access it based on middleware, achieve operational efficiency, and reduce risk through tracking."

Conditions in the Smart Factory

On the other hand, 4STEC, which obtained certification of Smart IoT's Good Software (GS) in February 2017, is planning to start delivering products in earnest. According to CEO Lee, the change to Smart Factory is expected to become more active in two to three years. At the same time, CEO Lee explains that the number of small and medium-sized companies that want to utilize data should increase and effective consulting should be conducted on these companies in order to revitalize smart factory.

CEO Lee stressed, "Not only large companies but also small and medium-sized companies can see and utilize the flow of data as they want, which is the real beginning of the 4th Industrial Revolution."

Press Date: April 22, 2017

Source: http://clomag.co.kr/article/2234