Anyone in the RFID reading / vehicle tracking game?

[48k]

I'm researching a possible project for a client which will require the ability to read an RFID tag on a moving vehicle from between 5m and 20m away. Research suggests I need to be looking at a UHF reader that can be pole mounted and has integrated antennae with a passive tag on the vehicle but I'm a software guy this is really not my area of expertise. All I need is to be able to get a unique ID of the RFID tag in to the computer, I can take things from there.

Just wondering if anyone is in the vehicle toll / asset tracking / stock control game that could give me a few pointers of hardware to look at. The possible big gotcha is that it realistically needs to be sub £300 to be viable and the long range readers my google has turned up so far are all 4 figures, unless I look at something on Ali Express.

[colin79666]

Would OCR on registration plates be a workable alternative? That can be done with a cheap usb camera and raspberry pi.

Example project: https://github.com/sonianuj287/NITC-Automatic-Numb...

[Mr E]

Need to understand a lot more about what the project is trying to do before getting to the technical solution bit.

[48k]

colin79666 said:

Would OCR on registration plates be a workable alternative? That can be done with a cheap usb camera and raspberry pi.

Example project: https://github.com/sonianuj287/NITC-Automatic-Numb...

Sadly no, it needs to be read from side on as the vehicle passes a fixed point. (think lap timing from a pit wall, not toll booths on a public road).

[Tye Green]

not much info provide.....is this project to monitor only ONE vehicle which could pass only ONE point or several vehicles to be monitored at several points?

[48k]

Tye Green said:

not much info provide.....is this project to monitor only ONE vehicle which could pass only ONE point or several vehicles to be monitored at several points?

One vehicle passing one point.

I've taken a punt and got a reader on its way from Ali Express which is due in a week or so, which should let me set up a prototype to experiment with.