The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in The Netherlands has been giving considerable attention to their collection registry system for many years. This system is able to give an overview of all the objects that are available in the museum and provides an information source for external users. Next to the unique identification number, several other features have been integrated into the system.
Examples include providing the condition of valuable assets, the restoration status and location. In order to be able to populate the system with accurate data, the museum will start with a project titled ‘Project: The Physical Control of Prints’. Over 15,000 prints from the collection, dating back from 1400 A.D. to today, will be photographed and RF-ID tagged. Helicon in accordance with Omron and Philips have developed the concept. The name for the system is ‘Talking-Tag® system’.

In the existing system, the necessity to handle assets for identification often results in damage. Each item has to be lifted, taken out from its packaging, turned, twisted, etc., in order to retrieve the identification number. Damage can vary from abrasion caused by friction to breakage caused by falling. The importance to address this problem, linked with the traditional method of registration is widely acknowledged and has resulted in the development and use of more advanced technologies e.g. barcode. However, with all systems used at present, it is still necessary to have visual access to the identity label. In case of barcode, the label has to be manoeuvred in such a way that a beam of light can reach the label. Also any damage to the label will make the information irretrievable.

Inlets versus Talking tags

The RF-ID Tag is an interactive label made of polyethylene, copper and silica. It has 44 digital memory locations to store data. This data can be read from the Tag, altered and written on the Tag using radio wave technology. Each memory location on the Tag can be linked using specific software to information stored in existing museum databases, such as object number, photo, description and location. The Tag also holds the key to information relating to the packing and shipping of objects, their physical condition, storage conditions, priority of handling etc. The talking tags are embedded with RF-ID inlets from Omron. They come on rolls of 1,000 and 5,000 pieces. Each inlet contains a Philips I·Code chip, which can store up to 352 user bits of data. The inlets come in different shapes and sizes, typically 76 x 48 mm, 46 x 43 mm, diameter 21mm and 16,5 x 22 mm. Other sizes are possible.

Hardware

When using the Talking-Tag system, the antenna can read and write information on the tag and link it to the existing database. There is no need to open the storage or transit container and it is impossible to move an object from one location to another, without it being tracked. Stacked reading makes it possible to keep track of movements of larger quantities of objects. In order to develop, test and fine-tune the system, it was tested in situ in several Dutch museums, including the Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam, the Kröller Müller Museum in Otterlo, Stedelijk Museum and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The durability of the tag was tested by means of accelerated aging within a laboratory environment.

The reading equipment can be divided into two categories. One is for static reading and one for reading during movement from one room to another. This will be a controller and antenna that is built into a desk. For static reading Boijmans use a V720-CD1D controller together with a V720 H01 antenna. The reading distance of this setup is about 20 centimeters. After a picture of the object has been made, the label is programmed and attached to the print. The antenna for reading paintings and prints during movement consist of a pair of gates that will be located at the entrance of each depot. Every movement of an object is detected and stored in a database.

Manuals and procedures

With the Talking-Tag system a manual is provided. In this manual guidelines are given for the position on the objects where a Talking-Tag. can be attached. Also several methods for the attaching itself are given. The Talking-Tag. system comes with software that is capable of communication with every database orientated registration package worldwide. The information on the Talking-Tag is standardised, with the translation comes from the interface software.

Museum Boijmans van Beuningen

The first museum to implement this system for registration is the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. They started to 'tag' their collection of 15,000 prints and drawings. Museum Boijmans wanted to integrate the RFID system with their current registry system. A third party developped the software to communicate with the existing software. This can be done very easily because of the open structure of the Omron equipment.The operating interface is a standard webbrowser enabling people to login from a distance as well as local tracking and tracing within the museum.

Article source: industrial.omron.eu