For decades, it’s been a familiar, sometimes frustrating ritual in The Villages: inching up to the entrance gate, rolling down the window in the sweltering heat or a torrential downpour, and awkwardly waving a plastic card within 18 inches of a sensor.
But the era of burned-out window motors and soggy drivers is finally coming to an end. Next week, officials in The Villages are slated to take a revolutionary step forward by officially standardizing a new long-range gate reader system.
The Nedap uPASS Go long-range reader is set to become the community’s new gold standard for gate access. Approving the specific model clears the way for the District to put the equipment order out for competitive bid.
Once the new system is installed, residents can ditch the traditional gate cards in favor of a $20 headlight sticker. Utilizing radio frequency technology, the new sensors can read the stickers from 30 to 50 feet away—though the distance will be programmed to a shorter range to ensure safety at the gates. As residents cautiously approach, the system authenticates the sticker and automatically raises the gate arm, allowing drivers to breeze through with their windows rolled securely up…