Fitness Center Uses RFID Technology to Reduce the Risk of Towel Loss

These fitness centers can attach UHF RFID tags themselves or attach them to a third-party laundry service provider. ISBC provides Datamars passive UHF RFID tags, and users can choose the attachment method (sewing or pasting) according to their needs.

ISBC also installed a UHF RFID reader at the entrance to the fitness center. The data of the towel label is stored on the ISBC server for management. If a person leaves the fitness center with a towel, the reader at the entrance will ask for the tag and then forward the ID number to the server via a wired connection. Then, the alarm installed on the door will sound to remind the staff or the front desk to check.

Anisimova said that the water bottles in wet clothes and gym bags pose some challenges for label reading and require some engineering optimization. As a result, engineers conducted liquid environment testing during the development and installation of the reader antenna to ensure reliable reading of the label at the desired distance. According to Anisimova, the system's read rate is almost 100%.

Some fitness centers also plan to install the ISBC ESMART UHF RFID wardrobe to help manage the towels on site. To use the wardrobe, the customer needs to use an ID card to open the wardrobe door. The software then updates the information on the person who took the towel.

After the customer takes the towel away, the antenna will no longer read its ID number, and the system will associate the towel with the personnel information. After use, the customer can drop the towel into the box behind the closet. The built-in antenna of the box will detect the RFID tag and update the towel status to have been returned in the software.

When the number of dirty towels reaches the set value, the software will send a message to the employee for washing and replacement. The wardrobe can hold between 200 and 300 clean towels, which caters to the needs of most fitness centers.