Mobile Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Traffic Signage System Achieved 100 Percent Scan Rate at 35 mph and 30-Foot Distance.
Pilot Study in Vermont Field Tested 32 RFID Tags Attached to Traffic Signs and Guard Rails and an RFID Reader Mounted on a Survey Vehicle.
Vermont, United States
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology for Transportation Signage Management
Summary Information
An important part of transportation asset management is inventory management of roadside infrastructure such as traffic signs. Developing and maintaining an inventory of roadside signs can support tracking of associated attributes such as measured retroreflectivity. Researchers in Vermont assessed an approach using passive radio frequency identification (RFID), a wireless tracking technology, for transportation signage management. The tested technology utilizes a reader to wirelessly read a radio frequency tag attached to, or embedded in, an object. In July 2019, this asset management system was tested on Vermont State Route 63 and on the University of Vermont (UVM) campus in Burlington. The testing process used a total of 32 RFID tags attached to traffic signs or guard rails and an RFID reader mounted on a survey vehicle. The system performed the RFID tag interrogation while researchers drove the survey vehicle past the signs during field tests, and the performance in successfully reading the tags was evaluated under varying configurations and speeds.
METHODOLOGY
The project tested an RFID-based traffic signage management system, starting with lab evaluations of passive, active, and semi-active tags, along with handheld, stationary, and mobile readers. Field testing was completed in July 2019 at the University of Vermont campus and Vermont State Route 63, following antenna trials, custom mounts, and database integration. The evaluation scope included measuring scan reliability under different tag placements, angles, distances, mounting heights, vehicle speeds, and antenna types. Data collected during the study included RFID tag IDs, signal strength, read frequency, tag orientation, and scan success rates, along with hardware specifications and asset-linked database records.
FINDINGS
- Although the system did not reach the initial goal of reading RFID tags at 60 mph and 60 feet, field testing demonstrated it could achieve a 100 percent scan rate at up to 35 mph and a 30‑foot distance.
- RFID tags allow automatic ID interrogation without needing visual contact, provided a no line-of-sight inventory with a major improvement in ease and reliability compared to methods such as barcodes.
- The system writes and synchronizes tag data and GPS information directly to a centralized database, requiring only a single survey vehicle to inspect signs. This reduces reliance on manual inspection, saving labor and time through automation, and improving operational efficiency.
