Walmart's been trying to get suppliers to RFID stuff since their 2003 RFID mandate, which demanded suppliers tag pallets and cases by 2005, but s pretty much failed out of the gate due to exorbitant tag costs, unreliable technology, and supplier pushback, resulting in only partial compliance and a scaled-back approach by 2006. They really pushed for UHF EPC backscatter tag standardisation. But UHF is PITA. It can reflect off surfaces, not penetrate to cartons inside pallets with metal and water.
But.. they keep persisting. Interesting to they are trying BT now. Apparently the wiling tags scavenge RF to power their BT transceivers.
Here’s an AI summary.
Walmart’s battery-free Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags, like Wiliot’s pixels, harvest ambient RF energy (e.g., from Wi-Fi or RFID readers) using a small antenna and efficient rectifier, capturing 2.5-50 W in retail environments to charge a capacitor for brief BLE transmissions that consume ~9 J per packet. Ultra-low-power chips with duty cycling and simplified protocols enable 3-5 mA bursts lasting milliseconds, broadcasting minimal data (e.g., ID or location) over 1-10 meters every few seconds, with Walmart’s strategic placement of BLE gateways and RFID readers ensuring sufficient RF energy for reliable operation in stores and distribution centers.