RFID TECHNOLOGY

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RFID TECHNOLOGY
The Wave of the Future

• J.J. Faxon
• Andy Vu
• Dustin Beck
• Jessica Bentz
• Mandi Ellis

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Outline

• History of RFID
• Types Systems
• Current Uses
• Future Applications
• Controversies

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What is RFID?

• A technology that employs a microchip with an
  antenna that broadcasts its unique identifier and
  location to receivers.
• Employs a microchip called a smart tag,
  broadcasts unique 96-bit identifier to receiver.
• Receiver relays the data to a computer.

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RFID vs. Bar Codes

• Does not require human to manually pass item over
  scanner.
• More accurate inventory count.
• Can be incorporated into product, person, animal.
• Can track each individual item.

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History of RFID

• 1939
• IFF Transponder
• Used by allies in WWII
• 1945
• Leon Theremin
• Espionage tool for Soviet Union

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History cont.

• 1973
• Claims U.S. patent was first true ancestor
• 1980
• Retail
• Use of RFID in tracking and access applications
  appeared
• Price, color, date of purchase

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RFID Tags

• Contains two main parts
• Silicon chips
• Antennas
• Components enable tags to receive and respond to
  radio frequencies queries from RFID
  transceivers.
• Three types
• Passive
• Semi-Passive
• Active

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RFID Tags cont.

• Passive
• Have no internal power supply
• Electrical current inducted in antenna by the
  incoming signal proves power for integrated
  circuit in tag to power up and transmit response
• Very Small, Limited Range, Unlimited Life
• Semi Passive
• Similar to passive tags, with the addition of a
  small battery
• Battery powers the integrated circuit
• Bigger, Longer Range, Limited Life
• Active
• Have their own internal power source
• Many operate at fixed intervals
• Also called beacons (broadcast own signal)
• Large ( coin), Much larger memories, Longer range

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RFID System

• Objects equipped with RFID tag
• Tag contains transponder with digital memory
  chip.
• Interrogator an antenna packaged with
  transceiver and decoder.
• emits signal activating tag.
• Reader detects activation signal, decodes the
  data on the tags silicon chip.
• Data passed to host computer.

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Growing Technology

• Line of Sight Technology
• RFID superior over Barcode
• Elements and accidents can disturb or damage
  barcodes
• Best Buy, Wal-Mart, And Target began
  implementation
• Efficient in ability to track respond
  accordingly

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Current Uses

• Wal-Mart now requires its suppliers to use RFID
  tags on shipping crates and pallets to improve
  inventory management in the supply chain.
• Fed Ex bought RFID-enabled aircraft from Airbus
  to reduce maintenance time and costs.
• Cattle and farm animals are being tagged to
  improve tracking and monitoring of health.

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Current Uses cont.

• U.S. Department of Defense to better track
  goods along supply chain (logistics and
  inventory).
• Electronic payment credit card companies moving
  to RFID-enabled cards to increase efficiency and
  reduce time at point-of-sale for customer,
  merchant, and card issuer.

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The Future of RFID

• Household Technology
• Smart keys
• Intelligent washing machines
• Monitoring refrigerators
• Intelligent ovens/microwaves

• Medical
• Drug Counterfeiting
• Tracking Tracing
• Medical Passports
• Foster Care System
• Food Chain Precautions
• Shopping
• Cashier-less check out and payment

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Controversy

• Privacy
• Consumer Rights
• Consumers should be informed if their products
  have an RFID tag.
• Tracking of consumers (Profiling)
• RFID chips withstand dirt and scratches and can
  be scanned from distances upward of 25 feet.
• Personal Information Leakage.
• Drawing the Line Need for Legislation?
• Who Should Regulate?

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Controversy cont.

• Killing of RFID Tags
• Tracking vs. the washing machine
• Options of killing after purchase
• Medical
• Implants/Personal Information
• Verichip is a tiny implantable chip that holds
  medical records
• Bracelets to track infants in medical wards and
  elderly in nursing homes.
• Used in animals for tracking.

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Controversy cont.

• Medical
• Health Risks
• Hard to remove once implanted.
• Long term effects unknown.
• Religious
• Mark of the Beast, etc.
• The implanted RFID chip is certain to inflame
  Christian fundamentalists, some of whom believe
  that such chips are the Satanic mark of the
  Beast predicted in Revelations 1316 And he
  causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor,
  free and bond to receive a mark in their right
  hand, or in their foreheads.

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Main Points

• Slowly becoming an industry standard
• Speeds up the supply chain process
• Easier to manage inventory
• Continually evolving
• Controversial technology

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Questions for you.

• Define RFID technology?
• When was RFID introduced?
• What are two main reasons RFID is controversial?
• Name the three types of RFID tags?
• How are they currently using RFID tags?
• How is RFID Technology expected to effect
  households?

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Questions?