LONG RANGE pRFID TECH. WHITEPAPERS

United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is seeking technical whitepapers from commercial entities ("submitters") to provide recommended technical concepts to improve the performance of Passive Radio Frequency Identification (pRFID) to provide zonal coverage at distances in excess of 100 yards. Long Range pRFID research thus far has produced solutions for commercial retail operations, industrial rail car tracking (railroad infrastructure) and manufacturing (pharmaceutical) environments, but needs more innovation in a cargo distribution setting where exposure to a variety of environmental and frequency factors would prove or disprove the value of the technology. This technology must be able to accurately gather pRFID tag data distances in excess of 100 yards whether it is within a warehouse (static) or at outside but adjacent storage areas within the supply/transport facility compound (dynamic). Requirements: - Reduced pRFID hardware footprint - Hardware located in areas that do not interfere with business operations or cause local frequency conflicts - Work with established international commercial standard (ISO 18000-6C) tags - 100 yards radial coverage that can isolate individual tags to collect identification data and location - Solution should not require major changes to a site's supply chain business processes - Provide local metrics that are reportable to higher headquarters either via the system or COTS metrics analysis software - Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance (HERO) compliant - MIL-STD-454N "Standard General Requirements For Electronic Equipment" compliant - The technology will be subjected to conditions in a variety of DoD Supply Chain nodes and may well be subjected to harsh environments: o USAF Traffic Management Office receipt and transfers processes o USAF Aerial Port cross docking operations o US Navy Shipyard activities receipt and in-check processes o US Army Consolidated Receiving Point (CRP) o USMC Advance Traceability and Control (ATAC) retrograde USTRANSCOM will use whitepapers submitted to assist in understanding feasible technologies and techniques to improve the pRFID infrastructure across the DoD and will help to shape USTRANSCOM research and development efforts for future capabilities. This RFI will expire thirty (30) calendar days after publication date at which time no other submitters will be accepted. This is not a solicitation for a procurement contract, nor should this announcement be construed as implying any future solicitation by USTRANSCOM or any other government agency in this area. Large and small businesses may respond to this announcement. Whitepapers must not exceed 5 pages in length with the exception of figures, tables, or graphics which may be attached separately and referred to in the document. Papers should be UNCLASSIFIED. No funding is available from the government to cover costs associated with this development. Only written questions pertaining to this RFI will be accepted. Submitters will provide written questions to the primary point of contact listed below. All questions and answers will be published as an amendment to this RFI. Proprietary information presented must be prominently marked as such. Primary Point of Contact: Mr. Robert Dodge, USTRANSCOM TCJ5J4-T, 508 Scott Drive, Scott AFB IL 62225-5357, e-mail: robert.dodge@ustranscom.mil.