As with all technology it can be used to help manipulate our world or be abused for unwarranted control
Radio frequency identification (RFID) has been around in one form or another for at least 20 years. One of its most important uses is for inventory control. I remember when I worked at TI in the early 80s we were developing an inventory system for a local food store. It used infra red to read the bar code and RF to transmit the information to an in-store computer. For its time it was a really cool use of existing technology that increased control over the inventory. Fast-forward about 20 years and the technology has improved but the idea for control of inventory has spread from a simple food store to use in military and commerce -- as well as a potential misuse on people.
There are two basic types of smart cards: the contact and contactless smart cards. Contact smart cards have to be inserted into a small card-reader slot in order to be read. Contactless smart cards have an embedded antenna connected to the microchip, enabling the card to pick up and respond to radio waves. These cards do not require any direct contact with the reader because they use the passive transponder technology of RFID. They do not require batteries either; powered instead by the electromagnetic field generated by the card reader. By simply waving the card near the reader, secure identification, electronic payment transaction and authentication are completed in milliseconds.
Some of best uses include a new class of RFID systems implemented in assembly and maintenance for military and commercial application. It is expected to bring unprecedented efficiency and control to the shipment of products.
The military is using RFID in conjunction with the satellite-based global positioning system to track virtually every shipment destined for the war in Afghanistan. RFID smart tags can be secured to boxes, pallets, and industrial shipping containers to transmit the location and status of goods in transit. When the cargo reaches its destination, the tags broadcast their location up to 300 feet, making it easy for personnel with RFID readers to locate the container and know what's inside. RFID is also being used in a Navy test to track hazardous materials.
RFID is catching on in the commercial world too, with applications ranging from electronic payments to retail inventory management. Companies use RFID tags to track the movement of supplies and finished products.
It's easy to see that RFID systems, especially when combined with wireless communications, can provide real-time information on supply-chain inventory. It enables businesses to plan accurately and react quickly to emergencies.
Basic RFID tags, such as the passive read-only type widely used in retail, have been around for more than 10 years, and their prices have dropped to as little as 25 cents each. Newer tags, called active tags, contain memory chips that can be programmed to include information about what's in a pallet or box.
But, before you jump on the bandwagon for RFID be aware that they're not cheap. The chips can cost as little as $3 in large quantities. When active RFID chips are combined with a global positioning system and wireless communications, the cost in quantities can reach $500 each. Next, throw in the cost of software and infrastructure upgrades, and a complete system can be upwards of $150,000.
Monitoring a tractor-trailer-sized shipping container as it moves across the country, with a device signaling its location every minute or two, generates a great deal of data. Multiply that by thousands or millions of shipments and the data-management challenge becomes overwhelming.
Another possibility for RFID is to help prevent counterfeiting of currency. The European Central Bank is exploring how to embed RF tags into the euro. It could be a huge market for the technology if it pans out, but presently it is still too expensive to implement.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is also looking into RFID. They are considering it to monitor the blind areas around large hauling equipment used in surface mines. The systems require the use of electronic tags attached to light vehicles, pedestrian workers, other mining equipment, or stationary objects, such as utility poles and buildings. Any worker or vehicle entering the mine site must be outfitted with a tag to be protected. Heavy equipment in the mine is outfitted with tag reader electronics to detect the presence of a tagged object or person that is near the equipment. If a tag is detected within a certain range, an alarm is generated and displayed to the equipment operator. A unique identification can be transmitted from each tag so that the type of obstacle can be presented along with the alarm.
Another fascinating use for RFID is in clothing. It would be a wearable computer that allows you to take your electronics and roll and crumple them up and still have it work. This could be the next big consumer market. The system will include sensors, actuators, photovoltaic devices, batteries, storage devices, and maybe even reconfigurable software, all in a low-power design. Presently, this is barely beyond the dream stage but is rapidly approaching reality because the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has released a request for proposals that aims to bring together people and technologies in the textile and electronics industries.
DARPA will dedicate tens of millions of dollars to what some are calling e-textiles over the next five years. The first projects will be for military applications such as parachutes that generate solar power or track satellite signals, but a broad range of commercial products are expected to follow. DARPA will provide the kick-start to this market and enable it to take off in a very short time.
RFID transponders are also being used in the tracking of livestock. The tags, inserted into the ears of lambs, contain various characteristics of the animal such as its origins and lineage. Used to track the animals from the feed-lot all the way to the slaughterhouse, these tags are considered to be an accurate, economical, and efficient tracking system and will reduce the costs to track down the origins of contamination affecting the world's livestock.
All of the previously described descriptions are what I would consider good and useful applications of the RFID technology. However, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, the Federal Aviation Administration began establishing strict guidelines that will force U.S. airports to implement a range of new security solutions. To heighten security over the long term, airports will install sophisticated new applications, from advanced baggage screening systems to biometric scanners used to identify passengers.
There are some indications that RFID technology could be used to hold information about each of us. For example, there are chips being placed on credit-sized cards that contain significant personal information such as medical information and social security numbers. I don't have a problem with this. But I do have a problem with being required to use this kind of card as a form of identification. Why the concern? Because the recently passed Aviation Security Bill will drive significant growth in the security technology markets, and will mandate the adoption of advanced technologies. These RFID cards will open new opportunities in the airport security market. Think about it, you may have to carry "papers" (as required in Nazi Germany), in the form of a credit card that holds more personal information than you want to give out every time you go by a scanner. Fortunately, some civil libertarians have objected to the use of biometric technologies on the grounds that they will violate our civil rights. It's not happening yet, but we are definitely leaning towards using this technology. Do we need it?
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