Whats Happening with RFID NEMUG November 2009 Faith

What’s Happening with RFID? NEMUG November, 2009 Faith Lamprey Aurora Technologies (401) 765 -3721 aurora@auroratechedi. com www. auroratechedi. com

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is the use of an object (RFID Tag) applied to or incorporated into a Product, Animal, or PERSON for the purpose of identification and tracking.

RFID Components Reader Antenna Tag (chip+antenna)

RFID Tags n Active A tag that has its own power source (battery). ¨ It “chirps” or sends out a signal that says “Here I am!” ¨ n Passive One type has no battery and requires an external source to provoke signal transmission. ¨ A second type BAP (battery assisted passive) requires an external source to wake up, but can transmit over a greater range. ¨

RFID in the Supply Chain n Used to improve the efficiency of inventory tracking and management. Smart Boxes n A fair cost-sharing mechanism between the retailer and consumer good supplier is essential for sustainable RFID adoption to take place.

RFID Supply Chain Mandates n Since January 2005 Wal-Mart has required top 100 suppliers to use RFID tags on all shipments. n Since January 2008 Sam’s Club charges a service fee if single item pallets shipped to their Texas DC or directly to a store do not have an RFID tag. n Do. D has strict requirements for RFID tags on packages. They label every shipping container (over a million!) that travels outside of the U. S. with active tags.

RF n n Uses an RF tag that contains the new EPC (Electronic Product Code) Tags: Chip and antenna inside a traditional label ¨ Built into a plastic or rubber RF tag ¨ Chips built into packaging ¨

RFID Tags

RFID Trends — Miniaturization n Earlier this year British researchers glued microtransponders to live ants to study their behavior

RFID Trends — Miniaturization n Hitachi has developed the world's smallest and thinnest RFID chip. It measures only 0. 15 x 0. 15 millimeters in size and 7. 5 micrometers thick. The new chips have a wide range of potential applications from military to transportation, logistics and even consumer electronics. Nicknamed "Powder" or "Dust", these chips consist of 128 -bit ROM (Read Only Memory) that can store a 38 digit number.

RFID Dust by Hitachi Human hair

RFID tracking tag from the movie “Mission Impossible”

Current Uses of RFID As the price of the technology decreases, RFID is becoming increasingly prevalent. Let’s look at some current uses of RFID technology.

Mobil’s Speedpass Car key and the Speedpass

U. S. Passports n Since August 2007, the U. S. has been issuing only epassports. n The U. S. Electronic Passport (e-passport) is the same as a regular passport with the addition of a small contactless integrated circuit (computer chip) embedded in the back cover. The chip securely stores the same data visually displayed on the photo page of the passport, and additionally includes a digital photograph. n The inclusion of the digital photograph enables biometric comparison, through the use of facial recognition technology, at international borders.

RFID Network n Episode 4: RFID-Enabled Lift-Truck Solution Eliminates Operator Scanning

Other Current Uses n n n n n Mobile Payment Cards, Phones, and other Devices Mass Transit (subways, trains, busses, ferries, bridges) Asset/Inventory Management (hospitals, animals, baggage, libraries, museums) Lap/Race Scoring ID for Children (clothing, ID cards) Driver’s Licenses Prison Inmate Tracking Golf Balls Casino Chips