RFID Special

Soaps that talk and pens that sing

RFID – The Basics

You probably heard of it somewhere, or maybe you have come across those four letters in some movie, journal or website. Whatever the media, the chances have you seen read or heard about RFID somewhere. RFID, touted as the next big thing in the world of technology, in a HT Technology Special just for you.

RFID- An Introduction

Imagine a world where everything is traceable. From a ball point pen to soaps to shampoos to diamonds, to highly sophisticated aeroplane parts to space jet parts, to human organs, babies, animals to just about anything. Imagine a supply chain where manufacturers, distributors, and retailers can automatically locate any of the items that were shipped in a given case or pallet. Where receiving facilities know immediately whether a shipment’s contents match the advance shipping notice, and the right personnel are immediately notified of any discrepancies. Where manufacturers and retailers automatically adjust forecasts and orders based on sales velocity during promotions. Where theft or tampering is immediately evident, without requiring product inspection.

RFID promises just that. RFID combines radio frequency identification technology ( RF+ID) with highly miniaturized computers that enable products to be identified and tracked at any point along the supply chain. The chip sends out an identification signal allowing it to communicate with reader devices and other products embedded with similar chips.

According to definition RFID, thats short for Radio Frequency Identification, is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. An RFID tag is a small object that can be attached to or incorporated into a product, animal, or person. RFID tags contain silicon chips and antennas to enable them to receive and respond to radio-frequency queries from an RFID transceiver. Passive tags require no internal power source, whereas active tags require a power source. The RFID system may consist of several components: tags, tag readers, edge servers, middleware, and application software. More on tags and the RFID system is discussed later.

RFID – A technology of impact

The ultimate goal is for RFID to create a “physically linked world” in which every item on the planet is numbered, identified, catalogued, and tracked. And the technology exists to make this a reality.

The biggest gainers are said to be supply chains and the end of counterfeiting. On the other hand is a huge debate on privacy issues. Giants like Walmart, Virgin are others are implementing RFID on their supply chains. On the other hand there is much talk about about Amal Graafstra and his human RFID project where Amal embedded a RFID tag in his hand to easily open his car door, home and to be used as his “password” for a Windows login prompt all by simply waving his hand.

There are privacy advocates like Katherine Albrecht who is also the writer of SpyChips (co-written with colleague Liz McIntyre and published by Nelson Current) about the Over Survelience society. Mother Jones recently did a story titled New consumer-tracking technology RFID threatens to make personal privacy a thing of the past. Same with many other journals.

However, we must keep in mind that there are hazards associated with any technology and a robust system of checks and balances is being put in place by the regulators and the industry to ensure that there is no abuse of the benefits that the technology offers. For example – the new Gen 2 RFID hardware standards offer a ‘kill’ option whereby a tag can be permanently put to sleep after its business use is over i.e a customer will have the choice to get the tag ‘killed’ post purchasing an RFID tagged product, so that his privacy is not infringed upon.

RFID – the future is here

RFID definitely is a technology we are going to keep hearing about in the near future. The kind of impact it would have on human history is beyond words can describe. Chances of its misuse too are high. An innovative mind is all that would be required and super benefits or super chaos is what we are going to see in the days of the RFID. The benefits are absolutely too huge to be ignored. Right from the shop floor, to the supply chain to the stores to human RFID projects like
traceability of Alzheimer’s patients through RFID are far too great. Great technology, yes, but privacy issues, a yes for that too. In times of capitalism and dog eat dog world, a huge privacy issue in the hands of a innovative marketer out to know everything about his consumer.

That’s the world of RFID- a world where goods talk, a world where everything on this planet has a roll no. Did I hear my name call? Yes, RFID, mark a present for me!

Puneet Mehrotra is a columnist for HindustanTimes.com and a web strategist at www.cyberzest.com You can email him on puneet@cyberzest.com