An RFID tracking system is proposed to address the large problem of lost baggage at airports. Each year, over 9 billion dollars is lost due to airlines being accountable for lost luggage. An average of 10,000 bags are lost daily. RFID tags attached to bags could allow instant location of lost luggage and reduce costs significantly. Implementing such a system would require planning, designing hardware and software, deploying readers and tags, integrating databases, and testing before use. The total estimated cost is $15.9 million, less than the annual cost of lost baggage. Risks like tag damage are mitigated through research and redundancy.

1. Tracking Airline Baggage with
RFID Technology
D

2. Why Track Baggage?
 Baggage is lost in airports on a large scale.
– An average of 10,000 bags were lost every day in
2005.
 Lost baggage creates large revenue losses:
– Airlines can be held accountable for up to $2,500
per piece of lost luggage.
– That’s up to $25,000,000 per day!
 Or $9,125,000,000 per year!

3. The Problem Grows
 Philadelphia International Airport is the 9th
busiest airport in the world.
 US Airways and Delta Airlines lost the most
baggage individually in 2005.
 Customers and airline employees named lost
baggage the #1 problem in airlines.

4. Is There A Solution?
 There is!
 An RFID system can easily solve this
problem.
– RFID tracking systems are already being used on
a much larger scale—with great success!
– Wal-Mart and the DoD require their suppliers to
use RFID systems to track and locate lost
packages.

5. What Would an RFID System Do?
 Integrate seamlessly with and augment the
existing baggage system.
 Allow instantaneous location of lost baggage.
 Allow employees to easily determine where a
lost bag belongs.

7. What Would an RFID System Do?
Function Inputs Outputs Functional
Requirements
External Interface
Update customer data Edited data Query to update database;
updated data in editable form
Query database and update
necessary data
Terminal, scanner,
database must be
compatible
Associate RFID # in
database
Unique RFID tag # Query to update database;
updated data in editable form
Query database and update
with RFID tag #
Terminal, database
must be compatible
Create RFID tag Customer data and RFID
tag #
Physical RFID tag attached to
physical barcode
Acquire customer database
info and transfer to RFID tag;
creation program; print out
barcode with RFID tag
attached
Terminal, database,
printer must be
compatible
Scan luggage tag Acquire RFID signal Unique data which identifies
luggage and its destination
Acquire passive tag signal;
receive data from tag; query
database with data
Customer database
Update database Update database query Database updated, message in
form reader understands
Acquire query; execute query;
return whether successful
RFID reader station
Scan RFID tag during
sorting
Acquire RFID signal Database query containing
customer data
Acquire passive tag signals &
associate with database to
determine where luggage will
be sent
Customer database;
Flight database

8. What Needs To Be Done?
 The slides you are about to see display a high-level
overview of the project.
 Refer to the accompanying project report for a more
detailed task analysis.

9. How Does it Work?
 Baggage Association:
 Baggage Sorting:
Reader determines
what terminal to
send luggage to
Luggage routed
through conveyer
system
Luggage scanned at
terminal
Luggage loaded on
to cart
Customer initiates
check-in
Employee verifies
customer information
Chip is created and
embedded
Baggage enters
system

11. What Needs To Be Done?
1. Planning Phase
1.1 Initial Research
1.2 Site Specific HW/SW Research
1.3 Process Model
1.4 System Architecture
1.5 Cost-Benefit Analysis
1.6 Revision
2. Contract/Design Phase
2.1 Write Contract
2.2 Blueprint Design
2.3 Diagram Walkthrough/Signatures
2.4 Contract Begins
3. Gathering Materials Phase
3.1 Get materials for database
storage system
3.2 Get materials for RFID
hardware
3.3 Get materials for computer
software
4. Software Development Phase
4.1 Develop user interface
4.2 Develop database
4.3 Integrate interface and
database software

12. What Needs To Be Done?
5. Implementation Phase
5.1 Installing RFID scanners
5.2 Installing new
database/computer hardware
5.3 Installation of new software
5.4 Setup of RFID tag organization
system
6. Integration Phase
6.1 Integration of databases
6.2 Integrate old software
dependencies
6.3 Train employees on use of new
system
7. Alpha Testing Phase
7.1 Initial testing
7.2 Secondary testing
7.3 Final testing
7.4 Project completion

13. PERT CHART
2
5
1
6
Start
4
3
F
7
Contract
Design
Phase
Planning
Phase
Gathering
Materials
Phase
Software
Development
Phase
Implementation
Phase
Integration
Phase
Alpha Testing
Phase

14. What Needs To Be Done?

15. Great! How Much Will This Cost?
 The total estimated cost for this project is
$15.9 million.
 The same amount of money could be spent
on just 6,400 pieces of lost baggage.
 Nearly twice this amount of items are lost
every day worldwide.

16. What About Delays and Problems?
 A Risk Mitigation Strategy has already been
prepared for this project.

17. What About Delays and Problems?
 RFID tags are damaged, lost, or ripped off
– Research ways to improve tag durability in extreme
conditions, such as cold temperatures and low pressure.
 RFID readers do not work
– Have spare readers on hand to replace broken ones.
– Testing can be done to test if placement of the readers on
planes causes trouble.
 Shipping delays for product delivery
– Order early
– Allow plenty of time to allow for possible delays.
– Order replacement parts to avoid a second delivery
process.

18. Recap
 Lost baggage is a major problem in airports.
 Customers overwhelmingly named lost
baggage the #1 problem in airports today.
 An RFID tracking system is a simple, cost-
effective solution to this issue.
 Implementing RFID technology will
drastically reduce the amount of time and
money lost to baggage mistakes.

19. That’s All, Folks!
 Thank you for your time!
 Are there any questions?