RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) Jonathan Green, Kevin Thornberg, Erica Jennings May 16, 2007

RFID - Agenda  History  Types  Applications (Current & Potential)  Ethical Issues

What is RFID?  Wireless identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders.

History of RFID  RFID technology has been traced back to as early as the 1920s  The first US patent for this technology was made by Mario Cardullo in 1973, the first true ancestor of modern RFID

Types of RFID  Two Types Active: Have their own internal power source which is used to power any Integrated Circuits that generate the outgoing signal. Passive: Have no internal power supply, and must be powered externally.

RFID: Active, How it Works Diagram Source Diagram Source

RFID: Active Advantages  More reliable  Higher power levels More effective in RF challenged environment (metal, water, longer distances)  Example: United States Department of Defense – Reduce logistics cost, improve supply chain visibility.

RFID: Active, Disadvantages  The tag cannot function without battery power, which limits the lifetime of the tag.  The tag is typically more expensive, often costing $20 or more each  The long-term maintenance costs for an active RFID tag can be greater than those of a passive tag if the batteries are replaced.  Battery outages in an active tag can result in expensive misreads.

RFID: Passive, How it Works Diagram Source Diagram Source

RFID: Passive, Advantages  The tag functions without a battery; these tags have a useful life of twenty years or more.  The tag is typically much less expensive to manufacture  The tag is much smaller (some tags are the size of a grain of rice). These tags have almost unlimited applications in consumer goods and other areas.

RFID: Passive, Disadvantages  The tag can be read only at very short distances, typically a few feet at most.  It may not be possible to include sensors that can use electricity for power.  The tag remains readable for a very long time, even after the product to which the tag is attached has been sold and is no longer being tracked.

Common Applications 

Common Applications  Passports  Transport (toll) payment  Product tracking  Animal ID

Common Applications  Automotive  Inventory systems  Human implants  Library

Current Business Example  Benetton  Microchip transmitters have been attached to pieces of clothing in Benetton stores -- a technological leap the Italian retailer said will help it track apparel from factory to sales floor to cash register  bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/03/12/BU DTL&type=business bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/03/12/BU DTL&type=business

What do you Think?  What are potential applications?

Potential Applications  Replacing barcodes  Patient ID  Laundry (smart)  Toll booth  Credit cards  Felony scanner  Others?

Ethical Issues  Privacy  Human implantation  Religion