Some might think that RFID tagging is far from being used. The reality is that it is all around us. In the near future we will be hearing more and more about RFID tagging and it will become second nature to us.
While researching RFID technology, I realized the impact technology has on the evolution of society is enormous. From these tiny, almost invisible micro chips, humans will have the ability to hold their medical records “on their fingertips”. The shipping of products and the distribution will become simplified with the help of these chips and possibly one day we won’t have to clean up after ourselves. These chips offer security, efficiency, and reliability for the future.
Many people have issues with micro-chipping relatively everything we manufacture. However, fear primarily occurs when one is unfamiliar, uneducated and naïve. Once this technology is more prevalent in our everyday lives and people understand exactly how it works, I believe that it will turn into a technology that will consume our lives. One day we will be saying to ourselves, how did we ever live without RFID technology?
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Saturday, July 18, 2009
The Future of RFID tagging
Some believe that one day we will have flying cars, machines that teleport us from one place to another instantly and robots as servants. To some surprise personal assistant robots are not as futuristic as they seem. In the works today engineers are creating robots that respond to RFID tagging in order to assist someone in cleaning and organizing. The way this robot works is everything in your house is embedded with little RFID chips; socks, food boxes, toys, kitchen appliances. All of which will soon be implanted by all manufactures. Each tag will hold information such as, “I am a box of cereal, and I expire November 12th”. The robot will first be set to a “learn” mode. From there it will wonder the house and take note of where everything belongs. Then it will be switched to a “fetch” mode. The robot will then wander the house and read RFID signals of each item, cross-check the information with its knowledge of where things belong, then pick up the items and put them away. Parents can spend more time relaxing and less time picking up the toys of their children. For some this RFID technology and robot could have the potential to allow families more time together and eliminate many unnecessary fights.
RFID also has the potential to make our world green. Never again would we have to sort our garbage into recyclables. RFID chips could be implanted on all bottles, cans and other products, allowing the garbage facility to sort the garbage efficiently. From there a machine would redirect the garbage into the appropriate recycling bins. While it is easy to recycle most people don’t. This could truly clean up our environment and be beneficial to all.
While this all seems good on paper, many people have issues with the privacy and technology behind RFID tagging. I believe that the personal assistant robot is a great idea. I admit that I would desire to have one, who likes to clean? However, I do believe that this has the potential to make American’s even lazier than they already are. For people who can afford this robot, their kids would no longer learn the importance of cleaning up after themselves and chores would be unheard of. I believe that a larger gap in society would form between the upper class and middle class families. However, I feel that this technology needs to happen in our garbage facilities in order to separate our trash. No one can argue that recycling is important, however not everyone does it. While it might cost a lot to set up this type of machine, the rewards are priceless.
RFID also has the potential to make our world green. Never again would we have to sort our garbage into recyclables. RFID chips could be implanted on all bottles, cans and other products, allowing the garbage facility to sort the garbage efficiently. From there a machine would redirect the garbage into the appropriate recycling bins. While it is easy to recycle most people don’t. This could truly clean up our environment and be beneficial to all.
While this all seems good on paper, many people have issues with the privacy and technology behind RFID tagging. I believe that the personal assistant robot is a great idea. I admit that I would desire to have one, who likes to clean? However, I do believe that this has the potential to make American’s even lazier than they already are. For people who can afford this robot, their kids would no longer learn the importance of cleaning up after themselves and chores would be unheard of. I believe that a larger gap in society would form between the upper class and middle class families. However, I feel that this technology needs to happen in our garbage facilities in order to separate our trash. No one can argue that recycling is important, however not everyone does it. While it might cost a lot to set up this type of machine, the rewards are priceless.
Friday, July 10, 2009
RFID Protection Used Recently
While the blog below focused on the issues people have with RFID tagging and the safety concerns many people have, RFID is sometimes used to do the exact opposite, protect us.
On July 3 and 4th of this year, when Boston Pop’s Fourth of July concert took place along the Charles River, RFID tagging was used to insure the safety of over 500,000 audience members and 20 federal, state and local agencies. Every year this event is one of the biggest Independence Day celebrations in the United States. By embedding passive EPC Gen2 RFID tags in the staff members’ pendants and by installing two RFID portals, the command center, where they surveillance the event, was able to grant access to authorized personal quickly and efficiently.
RFID Global Solution provided the software needed to manage the data needed on each RFID tag. Students, studying to be RFID Technicians assisted with the installation, while a video company provided the technology to surveillance the event. Prior to this technology, personal body guards were needed all through out the event, increasing cost and people. The RFID secured command center provides a more efficient and broader view of the event. After the completion of the event it was tallied that there was 6,000 reads of pendants as personnel passed in and out of the command center. That verification of personnel before was done by an authorized person with a list of names, checking ID. One can imagine the traffic flow going in and out of the command center used to be much slower.
The command center at the Boston Pop's Fourth of July Concert in 2009. Twenty federal, state and local agencies manned the center.
On July 3 and 4th of this year, when Boston Pop’s Fourth of July concert took place along the Charles River, RFID tagging was used to insure the safety of over 500,000 audience members and 20 federal, state and local agencies. Every year this event is one of the biggest Independence Day celebrations in the United States. By embedding passive EPC Gen2 RFID tags in the staff members’ pendants and by installing two RFID portals, the command center, where they surveillance the event, was able to grant access to authorized personal quickly and efficiently.
RFID Global Solution provided the software needed to manage the data needed on each RFID tag. Students, studying to be RFID Technicians assisted with the installation, while a video company provided the technology to surveillance the event. Prior to this technology, personal body guards were needed all through out the event, increasing cost and people. The RFID secured command center provides a more efficient and broader view of the event. After the completion of the event it was tallied that there was 6,000 reads of pendants as personnel passed in and out of the command center. That verification of personnel before was done by an authorized person with a list of names, checking ID. One can imagine the traffic flow going in and out of the command center used to be much slower.
The command center at the Boston Pop's Fourth of July Concert in 2009. Twenty federal, state and local agencies manned the center.
Issues with RFID tagging
While RFID tagging show much promise and advantages for the future, many people have expressed that it is not worth the risk of long-term health problems, security or our right to private information. While our groceries get tagged and tracked every step of the way, from the farm until they are sold at the store, it seems unjust to do the same thing for humans.
The main debate regarding RFID tagging involves privacy. However, this debate has many layers to it, depending on the cultural and environment of an individual. Many who are unfamiliar with the computing world are hesitant towards a technology so inner related with cyberspace. However, it is important to remember that all the data from a RFID had to be inputted on the tag manually. Therefore, many of the privacy issues arise from the retrieving end, questioning who is reading the information and analyzing personal data. Currently, the Data Protection Directive and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive address the issues of data protection, privacy and security.
Still many believe that guidelines and self-regulatory codes of conduct are needed to implement current privacy rules and to clarify certain details. Another issue many worry about is the lack of enforcement options. Realistically, anyone with a reader and within range of the tag could access the information on the tag. As far as tags in the body go, the range is very small and someone unrightfully retrieving someone else’s information would be highly unlikely. 
One of the main ways to eliminate much of the fear regarding privacy and RFID tagging, is to educate the consumers on how it is they work. Many times fear comes form ignorance and simply informing people on the positive and negative aspects of the device could wipe away most of the fear. However, many believe that all the fear could be erased if privacy-enhancing technologies could be built directly in the device.
Below is a link to a debate/informative video on VeriChip, a RFID tag for medical usage.
Friday, July 3, 2009
RFID on the Rise in Healthcare
In 2004 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the VeriChip, a RFID tag that can be implanted, for use in the medical field. The VeriChip is the size of a grain of rice, which can be placed under the skin of a patient. The chip contains a 16 digit identification number that can be scanned and then granted access to information. The VeriChip comes in 3 different forms including; being implanted, worn, or attached.
VeriChip’s most unique technology, he implanted chips, was designed so healthcare professionals could easily access patients electronic medical records. This design was made for individuals with chronic illnesses that visit medical offices frequently. In July of 2006, the VeriMed technology was selected for a two-year pilot program at Hackensack University Medical Center, in Hackensack, New Jersey. VeriMed teamed up with insurance provider Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield to insure imbedding patients, so emergency staff could acquire medical information more easily.
The wearable VeriChip’s is for the protection of vulnerable patients, such as infants and the elderly. The VeriChip’s are even used to match up mother and infant to protect the family. That way the family has more control of who is interacting with their baby and the risk of infant abduction is reduced.
The Verichip’s are also attached to medical equipment to keep track of its whereabouts in the hospitals. By attaching a chip to a wheelchair or other mobile monitoring devices, keeping track of inventory and equipment locations becomes easier, thus allowing doctors and the medical staff more time with patients and patient care.
VeriChip’s most unique technology, he implanted chips, was designed so healthcare professionals could easily access patients electronic medical records. This design was made for individuals with chronic illnesses that visit medical offices frequently. In July of 2006, the VeriMed technology was selected for a two-year pilot program at Hackensack University Medical Center, in Hackensack, New Jersey. VeriMed teamed up with insurance provider Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield to insure imbedding patients, so emergency staff could acquire medical information more easily.
The wearable VeriChip’s is for the protection of vulnerable patients, such as infants and the elderly. The VeriChip’s are even used to match up mother and infant to protect the family. That way the family has more control of who is interacting with their baby and the risk of infant abduction is reduced.
The Verichip’s are also attached to medical equipment to keep track of its whereabouts in the hospitals. By attaching a chip to a wheelchair or other mobile monitoring devices, keeping track of inventory and equipment locations becomes easier, thus allowing doctors and the medical staff more time with patients and patient care.
Types of RFID Tags
Passive RFID tagsA passive RFID simply does not carry a battery and must attain its power from its reader. Technovelgy explains that, “when radio waves from the reader are encountered by a passive rfid tag, the coiled antenna within the tag forms a magnetic field. The tag draws power from it, energizing the circuits in the tag. The tag then sends the information encoded in the tag's memory.” Because this type of tag does not require an energy source, it has the ability to be rather small. The smallest device measured was 0.15 mm x 0.15 mm, which is thinner than a sheet of paper. These types of tags can be found on tags of merchandize or under ones skin. Due to the low cost of these tags, as cheap as 5 cents, many top merchandize companies such as Wal-Mart and Target have used this type of identification on their tags.
Some of the disadvantages of this type of tag include the inability to read the tag from far distances. Due to this, the applications for passive tags are limited. Another issue with the tag is that it remains active for long periods of time. After an item has been sold or no longer needs to be tagged, it still remains activated. Some might see this as an advantage because its life span can last for over 20 years.
Active RFID tags
Unlike passive RFID tags, active tags have their own power source, capable of powering up any ICs that generate an external signal. Some active tags even carry replaceable batteries to insure activity for years to come. Active RFID tags are also seen as more reliable than passive RFID tags. It has been noticed that active tags tend to have less errors when reading the information on the tags. Another advantage of active RFID tags is that it can be read from distances larger than 100 feet.
However active RFID tags do have their disadvantages. Active tags must have an internal power source, such as a battery, and when the battery expires so does the tags life. They are also much larger and more expensive, 20 dollars each, making their use and demand limited.
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