SBIR Phase I: Solving the 4,023-year-old logistics control problem using modern IoT standards and a novel combination of passive RFID, UWB, cellular technology & their application

Award ID: 2404638

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to revolutionize logistics and transport management via real-time visibility at the unserved serial number level through integration of wireless technologies. This research will enhance scientific and technological understanding by providing unprecedented insights into the movement of goods, thereby optimizing transport methods and materials. The market opportunity addressed by the proposed technology is vast, with a value proposition centered around real-time tracking, digital control empowerment, and reduced tracking costs. By leveraging precise on- and off-premise technology with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), the solution promises to provide a durable competitive advantage. The technology will be offered at a reasonable monthly pricing per unit, unlocking commercial opportunities both domestically and globally. This novel approach is projected to capture a significant portion of the market currently underserved by existing methods. Initially targeting pallets, containers, and commercial vehicles, potential annual revenues of $10M+ are projected in the third year of production, paving the way for expansion into wider domestic and global markets. Ultimately, the technology is poised to be a key factor in enabling commercial success while offering societal benefits such as minimized disruption of production and improved food quality. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to provide technology for tracking reusable transports (e.g., pallets, containers, trailers, trucks) to reduce disruptions for manufacturers, movers, and package receivers by over 50%. Logistics operation inefficiencies in manufacturing, food distribution, and pharmaceutical delivery could be eliminated, reducing item journey monitoring costs and wasted time. The proposed devices will attach to pallets/containers, read passive RFIDs attached to serial numbered items, and communicate their location/state to a cloud based digital twin for each serial number. This will allow users to monitor products during shipping, updating product whereabouts, condition, and expected delivery timeline, boosting operational efficiency and product safety and creating the potential for circular logistics chains and goods that deliver themselves. This project will de-risk the device using evaluation hardware and demonstrate blink rate optimization feasibility, producing a prototype capable of transmitting and connecting to the monitoring software across various transportation types. The R&D will include reference design-based device testing focusing on battery longevity, chip power usage evaluation, and deployable antenna design for multi-item reads. The result will be an early prototype capable of being tested in an industrial pallet configuration for modular battery implementation in post-Phase I efforts. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Vincent Lee