Wednesday 23 May 2018

RFID And Pulling The World Into The Future

By Ruth Fisher


It used to be that in order to keep track of something, one had to use their eyes. Once it was out of sight, it was practically lost. But as society evolved, so did the tools used by humanity. Nowadays, keeping track of something is as easy as slapping a tag on it and using a CSL RFID reader connected, wirelessly or otherwise, to a computer.

RFID means radio frequency identification. It is a method by which a device, a reader, wirelessly scans information from a tag embedded with a chip. There are two types of tags, the passive and active. Passive tags rely on siphoning power from the radio waves of a reader, while an active tag will have its own power source such as a battery.

UHF stands for ultra high frequency. It is the frequency at which many systems essential to the modern world operate. The systems include mobile phone coverage, global positioning systems or GPS, and perhaps most importantly, Wi-Fi systems.

Now, RFID tags have numerous security applications. In places where doors are automatically locked, like a hotel room, an RFID chipped card is pretty much the only way to open it. RFID tags can also be used in stores as items can be chipped to alert staff and security if someone tries to bring them out without paying for them.

An RFID chip can also be used to track living creatures. A pet can be embedded with one, making it easier to find in case it wanders off. They have applicability to zoos, for the same reason, to keep track of animals.

Like a lot of technology, the speculations regarding the future are endless. It is hypothesized that using an RFID reader and a tag can make shopping much easier. It works by having readers at the door. Each item in the store is tagged. When a person exits with their items, the reader then takes note of all the tags as well the credit card and then the credit card is automatically charged for the cost of all the items, eliminating the need for checkout lines and cashiers. A lower scale version of this is already present in some countries, with people using their phones to pay for items instead of cards of cash. There are also some medical application, as it is speculated that the chips can be turned into dust and then injected into the human bloodstream in order to monitor the health of a person. Then there are those who fear that the same technology used to keep track of animals can be applied to human beings.

Now, simply picking a reader is easy. There are many that are currently on the market. Picking the right one is the key.

A reader should not cost too much, but it should not be cheap. Then again, cheap is not really an option for most tech, as even a low cost reader can cost hundreds of dollars. Remember the adage of you buy cheap, you buy twice. A reader should be durable. Especially if it is placed outside. The outside includes dangers like the weather and rowdy people.

Technology has changed the world, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But, mostly for the better. There are those whose lives will be negatively impacted as technology continues to progress, but there are many more who will benefit greatly.




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