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Home :: RFID For Dummies
RFID FOR DUMMIES
Like most people, I’m not a genius when it comes to the newest
technology; I have mastered the Internet enough to buy a few things and do a
little research on a few different topics, however. One such topic that I
ran across recently was the term RFID.
When I started reading the numerous
articles related to this term, I realized one thing, there’s not one article
that explains this term to the averaged-median line IQ human, so I decided
to write an article that explained RFID for Dummies. When you first open the
door to the world of RFID, you may be a little frightened at the concept; I
know personally, I was a little intimidated and thought this could possibly
be an infringement on personal privacy. Therefore, I feel the best way to
define RFID for Dummies is to take the backdoor and enter quietly, so to
speak.
RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification- imagine the bar coding
system that you see every day at the local grocery store tweaked up a few
notches. Or the OnStar technology in your favorite Cadillac available to
every known object in the world; it can be used for a multitude of
knowledge. Examples of RFID can be found at your local library and used to
track books. Many states are implementing RFID systems into their toll
collection systems. Trucking companies that ride up and down the same Toll
Roads are given passes or tags, as these tags enter the toll booth they are
read remotely and the tag information is used to debit the toll from a
prepaid account; this helps speed up traffic at toll booths. Even the United
States Department of Defense requires that their vendors place
RFID tags on all shipments to improve supply and safety chain
management.
So, as you can see RFID can and is very helpful to the industrial and
business world. As well, many pet owners used a small embedded RFID device
that can track their pets if they go missing or wonder off. And recently the
use of RFID bracelets has been used in several Correctional facilities in
numerous states, including Ohio, California, Michigan, and Illinois. The
health care world can use these devices for tracking patient care, for
patient identification purposes, as well as limiting access of medical
records to only designated medical staff.
Although, the use of RFID tags have been considered and even FDA approved
for human implantation in a few instances; at the present time only a
handful of researchers have actually implanted these devices into humans.
These RFID tags are made by a company called Applied Digital which calls it
a
Verichip. Although thought to be a very efficient way in incorporating
personal medical information, as well as limiting medical mishaps, the
anti-RFID activists feel these devices are a threat to personal privacy, as
well as controversial when it comes to their overall safety.
The use of RFID is no doubt on the rise, just as your knowledge of RFID for
Dummies was meant to inform, these devices are currently used for that same
reason; of course mainly in the manufacturing and product world. But be
aware, with the recent talks surrounding citizen privacy or the lack of
citizen privacy when it comes to terrorist threats, there is no doubt that
these RFID tags will most likely be seen in the world as an informative tool
on a more personal level. In facts, many countries are incorporating these
tags into their passports, and there has even been talk of using RFID tags
in the United States on driver’s licenses.
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