This section's topic for January 2005: RFID

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is the use of radio frequencies to read information on a small device known as a tag. Currently, these tags may take many forms: for example, the microchip may be the tag because it has a tiny antenna on it, or the tag may look like banknote security ribbon. Other RFID tags are applied to products and packaging in the form of a label, an example being the Texas Instruments Tag It label fitted to the packaging of 250,000 Xerox copiers shipped yearly in Europe, and attached behind the cloth labels on Goldwin Sportswear made in China – using one million yearly. It is important to note that some RFID tags have a microchip in them and some do not.Over 20% of RFID applications do not replace anything. An example is the “ScripTalk” pharmaceutical label for the blind that makes a gadget held near it speak out the type of drug and dosage required. Other examples are several hundred million ‘clickers’ for car access that have been sold and the 50 million sold as entertaining features of the Hasbro Star Wars toy.

Source: IDTechEx, Free RFID White Paper
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