Celebrity
Big Brother is using
radio
frequency identification (RFID) technology to track
housemates.
Big Brother production company Endemol selected RFID specialist
Wavetrend to install the
technology.
The tracking system enables the show's producers to monitor the
movements and habits of the housemates. They are able to analyse
where in the house the celebrities spend most of their time, and
which housemates they are in close proximity with over the course
of their stay in the house.
The technology enables programme psychologists to interpret the
celebrities' behaviour, and housemates voted off may be questioned
about their movements in the Big Brother house using information
derived from Wavetrend's RFID system.
Wavetrend has installed and commissioned 15 of its RFID readers
across various points in the Big Brother house. Locations include
the smoking area, bedrooms, diary room and bathrooms. The company
has also provided its specialised "personnel" tags for housemates
to wear throughout the series.
The show's viewers are able to watch the house floorplan via a
studio display, which indicates each of the housemates with a
tracking beacon. The data is then analysed to show movement
patterns over a 24-hour period.
Show producer Gareth Collett says, "We were looking for a device
to give a new dimension to Big Brother's Little Brother programme
and personal tracking came up in a brainstorm meeting. Our aim was
to work in conjunction with a tracking company to give us a
constant stream of facts and figures that would complement the
information received from the 24-hour television coverage already
in the house."