RFID Race Timing Systems Selects PowerID’s PowerT for its Ultra Timing System

PowerID, an industry leader in battery-assisted, passive (BAP) RFID technology, announced that RFID Race Timing Systems, a leading supplier of race timing systems, has chosen the PowerT label for Ultra, its new state-of-the-art timing offering.

Based in Australia, RFID Race Timing Systems has created a superior timing product based on three unique components: PowerT labels, a control box, and a mat antenna. The PowerT label is fully compatible with the EPCglobal Class 1, Generation 2 air protocol and was designed for timing and tracking runners in events.

“The PowerT is an absolute revolution in transponder design,” said Andrew Peterson, CEO of RFID Race Timing Systems. “All passive tags are severely compromised when placed very close to the human body. The beauty of PowerT is that it can be worn on the back of the chest race number completely eliminating the need for the competitor to perform fiddly maneuvers with an adhesive label on their shoe.”

PowerID released the PowerT in Q2 2009. The label has already proven its high performance at several large-scale trials worldwide, including last month’s Melbourne Marathon with over 20,000 tagged runners and running events across Europe.

PowerT’s main advantage over existing label solutions is that it can be attached to the back of a runner’s bib, which can be mailed to the runner prior to the event. This obviates the less convenient application of disposable shoe tags and the bothersome task of collecting tags after an event. In addition, due to its price point and environment-friendly battery, PowerT is disposable. As for reliability, the new PowerT label provides high read ranges, easily read from antennas set up in mats or on gantries up to 9 meters away.

“We are thrilled that a timing systems leader such as RFID Timing Systems has chosen the PowerT for Ultra,” said Erez Kahani, CEO of PowerID. “The PowerT is a welcome addition to our expanding label offering for various industries where passive label performance is limited. It has quickly gained traction in the race timing industry, and we look forward to seeing the PowerT in large running events in the coming months.”