InfoChip adds Sniper device for reading tiny tags with NFC phones

A simple add-on adapter for NFC phones cuts the cost of equipping staff with a reader for InfoChip’s 8mm industrial tags by more than half, the company says, and will “bring profound revolution in safety compliance, inspection management and industrial asset management.”

The Sniper antenna adapter allows NFC phones to read tiny Duraplug RFID tags
INFOCHIP: The Sniper antenna adapter allows NFC phones to read tiny RFID tags. Click to enlarge

Asset management solutions provider InfoChip has launched an antenna adapter that focuses the signal of an NFC-enabled smartphone, enabling it to target the company’s 8mm wide DuraPlug 13.56 MHz RFID tags.

The patent pending Sniper device is placed on the back of a phone to “convert wide signals to focused signals” and allow users to read the contents of the tags, which are designed to be embedded in metal objects, with InfoChip’s free Android app.

The Sniper add-on retails at US$79 in comparison to InfoChip’s $200 USB reader, which only scans data to a computer, and its $599 Bluetooth reader that scans to any device.

The Sniper will “bring profound revolution in safety compliance, inspection management and industrial asset management,” the company says.

“Our customers consist of oil and gas, lifting and fall protection, hose manufacturers and more. They all use our product to track assets that are difficult to identify, either due to small size or long term abuse leading to illegible serial numbers,” says InfoChip’s Megan McGeough.

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