Implementation of RFID as an improvement in the management of a scientific collection: the case of Institut Català de Paleontologia

laura.celia@icp.cat

1. Paleowhat?? ICP presentation

2. Our scientific collection

3. Our problems are your problems

4. Tracking the collection: solutions

5. Looking for providers

6. Application of RFID in the ICP

1. Paleowhat?? ICP presentation

Institut Català de Paleontologia

Government of Catalonia (Research department) Heir of an older Institut, created in 1969

We are a research centre, not a museum

www.icp.cat

We carry out all stages of paleontology

Preparation Storage

Excavation

Documentation

Research

Research departments: university

Depot warehouse: Sabadell

Preparation labs: university

Exhibition + collection: Sabadell

Where are we?

4 homes:

2. Our scientific collection

Used to investigate (not exhibit)

200.000 specimens

From 240.000.000 to 10.000 years

From Iberian Peninsula, France, North Africa, USA

How do fossils arrive to ICP?

22.000 fossils / year

200 requests/year8.000 fossils

3. Our problems are your problems

50 years with no unified criteria of documentation

- In terms of documentation

- In terms of conservation

Locations: many human errors

It’s like finding a needle in a haystack!

4. Tracking the collection: solutions

Daily work

No specific knowledge

External company

Software implementation

Gross cost: 36.000 €/year

Lower investment(economic & psychological)

New technologies: different options

QR Datamatrix

1. BarcodesEAN

Linear

2D

“Visual contact”

2. RFID

- Presence of metal (bounces the signal)- Presence of liquid (reduces the signal)- Bad use (breaks the chip)- Presence of potent frequency inhibitors

Problems:

Above 70 oCBellow -20 oC

No “visual contact”

5. Looking for providers

- Internet tracking- Finding references through friendly channels- Contacting with companies that already use it successfully- Contacting with associations of providers

Short list with 8 providers

- Previous experience in RFID- Degree of specialization- Physical proximity to the ICP- Company size and age- Quality of the information obtained in the sector

2 providers

6. Application of RFID in the ICP

Our goal:

to design, develop, implement and integrate a RFID solution for the unequivocal identification and

inventory of the specimens of ICP collection

Schedule:

- Project start: July 19th

- Analysis and design: from July 19th to August 1st

- August: holidays- September: inauguration of the new museum- Project review and corrections: from October 6th to 22nd

- Final project acceptance: October 25th

- Software development: until November 25th

- Test: from November 25th to December 3rd

-Validation: until December 17th

At the end of 2010, the project should be finished

Customized versus standard products

How to save information in a tag?

Types of RFID tags used

1. For lego pieces

20 x 12 mm

Adhesive

60.000

2. For macrofossils

65 x 45 mm

Non adhesive

70.000Institut Català de Paleontologia M. Crusafont

IPS:Element:

Taxó:

Jaciment:Edat:Ubicació:

3. For boxes (locations)

85 x 25 mm

Non adhesive

3.000

How we read the information?

Costs

Micro: 0,12 € / unitMacro and boxes: 0,16 € / unit

Software: it depends on the number of simultaneous users

Thank you very much!