please!

[RFpirate]

RFID proponents all claim the technology will improve everybody's lives. Tell me, how will it help consumers? Why should they care if inventory management is made more efficient? Don't tell me the companies will pass the savings on to customers, cuz we know that won't happen.

[tomorrow_today]

Some benefits:

• Retailers could use RFID to provide detailed information about items in their stores.
• Retailers will be able to stock their store shelves more efficiently, thus preventing out-of-stock situations.
• RFID reduces the cost of managing inventory. Therefore, consumers will benefit from the resulting lower prices.
• RFID could also help reduce the counterfeiting of products.
• Automobiles could be protected from theft by RFID anti-theft devices.

[mcaine]

Why do you think it won't benefit consumers? The savings might not be passed on directly to the consumers in the form of cheaper prices, but that extra money will go to other improvements to the business.

[Mike Patterson]

In addition, retail is not the only way RFID can be used.

It can be used in hospitals to ensure the proper patients recieve the proper treatments, or to ensure that medical samples are anonymous and correctly associated with the patient.

Today, RFID labels are used to label medicine for the blind, which they can read with a special reader.

Assembly lines use it so that while an item is being produced, each station can do the procedure needed for that individual part.

Highway automatic toll booth collection? RFID already in action (although it is an earlier version, not exactly the same as the tags you are talking about)

There are many more uses outside retail.

--Mike

[tipputih]

i'm working on my final paper and my topic is regarding creative ideas on utilising RFID outside of inventory management / livestock / supply chain management.

mike, your posting was what i would like to brainstorm about with anyone else interested. think will be more effective if can bounce ideas around.

cheers//

[Tom Napier]

Just think of the areas that RFID transponders are currently used and we may not even know about it.

Access control uses LF and HF RFID tags to open doors and gates for almost every secure building enter. These tags use proximity and vicinity stadards.

Recent model car keys use LF RFID wedge transponders as de-mobilizers to prevent theft.

Pets and livestock have LF RFID transponders embedded or ear tags for identification purposes.

Shell and Exxon (ESSO) use LH & HF transponders for quick payment methods (at the pump) to speed up self-service gasoline (petro) bars. These companies are also using the same tags to allow quick payment in their gas bar stores. Trials are being conducted with McDonalds for the same easy payment access.

Ski hills use RFID to prevent counterfeit tags. They also use the same tags for easy payment.

The automotive industry use RFID tags in stead of bar code labels in assembly lines.

Automobile tires (tyres in the UK) have RFID tags to identify them. They can also have special RFID tags to monitor the pressure.

Airport trials show great promise as they have achieved 99.99% read rates using RFID as compared to 70-80% first read rate with bar codes.

Hospitals use RFID tags as wrist bands to track wanderers. Hospitals can also use RFID to keep better records as to feeding, medication and operations.

Smart labels (RFID tag imbedded in the pressure sensitive labels) are used in pharmaceutical packaging. The USA FDA has a mandate to require temperature monitoring of medicine through the logistics chain.

If you are concerned with our privacy, then turn off your cell (mobile) phone. You can be tracked much easier with this device than RFID technology.

[samglass]

Whooohoo! Well said that man.

[tipputih]

wow tom, well said man! yup, have read about some of your examples during my research, am just wondering how wide can RFID go.

for example, how can we extend the usage of RFID in car theft prevention, immobilisation etc. i'm talking about whether is there a possibility that RFID(short radius range) can be used to replace GPS / GSM (bigger radius range) tracking system? is reader at lamp post along the high ways a good way to work with the RFID tags on the cars?

is it possible to tag all parts in cars to prevent cars and autoparts theft?

is it possible to tag every citizen of a city / country, and have their medical information stored and during their visit to any hospitals, or during emergency, they do not need to updates the hospital about thier medical history?

how would a commoner with those RFID tag, be able to update thier info in this context? how much of investment and by whom are we talking about?

can / should we replace movie tickets with RFID tags? how about concert, super bowl, airport traffics?

can we use RFID as physical security lock for laptops? am talking about using the concept of car security enabling key chain.

i was reading an article and was talking about implanting micro RFID tag into human body. i was just wondering about the privacy issue, about the replacement of the tag in the future even if the tag can go thru a lot of wear and tear. i'm wondering about how to write back information on the implanted tag. i'm wondering about terrorism. would you believe the info from the tag or would you believe thumb print and DNA now?

RFID is really a very interesting topic to talk about. i just hope many are interested in this topic just like me. thanks for your input and ideas!

cheers//

[Tom Napier]

Hi Tipputih,

You can read more on the negative aspects of RFID at the www.stoprfid.com web site. Katherine Albrecht, CAPSIAN, has a lot of negative information on RFID, some I agree with, some, I don't. You can also find information on the www.technobility.com web site. Peter De Jager is an excellent resource and recently spoke at MIT regarding RFID.

I will try to answer some of your questions:
1) RFID can be used with fixed readers and/or fixed tags. Don't forget there are different frequencies and each can be used for different applications. No, RFID will not replace GPS or cellular tracking because of the required infrastructure required. However, you can have RFID readers on a vehicle and the tags embedded for X,Y,Z locators such as warehouses, ports, train/trailer yards, subways, buses, etc, etc.
2) We are currently working on a project with a major aircraft manufacturer for installing RFID in the bank (control panel) to: 1- see if all of the parts are present and 2 - are they in the proper service date? This could be extended to automobile parts. This is also one of the reasons why retail wants to get into RFID so much. Not only do people steel from the store, they take the product back for a refund! If every load of controlled substances such as tobacco & alcohol had RFID tags, then retail sales of stolen property would be much more difficult and much easier for law enforcement.
3) In Canada, we have Medic-Alert neck chains and bracelets to identify people with potentially fatal conditions. RFID tags could be much better help to the medical community upon medical calls.
4) Major events have so many counterfeit tickets sold it would make your head spin. Even downhill skiing have many people taking advantage of the system. European ski hills have already taken advantage of RFID technology and the ROI was excellent. However, if you have season's tickets for your event, you can go electronic and never need to have the paper. The information could be written to your tag. Just walk right in and sit right down, purchase a drink, popcorn and program without ever pulling out your wallet.
5) Access control and logical control are prime uses for RFID. We are already using access control for businesses and condominiums. TI manufactures a pcmcia card for logical (virtual) access control on PC's, Servers, Internet, etc.
We currently have an application for access control w/ asset management. In Canada, we have the Access to Information & Protection of Privacy Act. What most people forget is the protection of privacy aspect of this act. If I pull a file, is it the right one? Is there any file I am forgetting? Am I the right person accessing this information? This problem was solved with RFID technology.
6) RFID implants in humans, well this is a touchy subject. If we do, what will be next? If we keep the RFID tags on the outside of our bodies, we have the choice to use them or not. However, prisons and jails could use the RFID tags to prevent in-detention crimes such as escapes.

[mbayings]

Hi,

I want to give three examples of daily usage of RFID that is already very common.

When you buy a subcription ticket in a ski resort in many European ski resorts, a picture of you is taken and digitally placed on the RFID chip that is place inside your ticket. You can keep that ticket inside your pocket. Every time you pass a gate to a ski tow, your picture and personal details are shown on a computer screen of the manager of that tow. This way they can check if you are indeed the right owner of the card to prevent abuse.
The ticket price contains a deposit fee, that is returned to you when you give the ticket back. Then they can re-use it.
It is a perfect way of using RFID for several reasons:
- Because you pay a deposit for the card, the cost of the RFID chip is not an issue anymore;
- Because your picture is digitally stored on the chip and inside the card, abuse is almost impossible;
- Users have the bennefit that they can just walk through the gate without looking for their ticket and putting it in a machine; this goes a lot faster and user friendly.
- The card can be re-used;
- A huge expensive computer network over the ski slopes is not needed, because a stand alone reader with a monitor is sufficient to determine if you are the right owner of the pass;
- They (the owners of the slopes) do not need to use or wait for a world wide standard, because they use it in a 'closed loop'.

The second example is the use in our world wide offices. All employees and guest get a security card with RFID tag inside. Each part of the building(s) have gates and on the tag is put if we are allowed to enter which gates. I can now walk in in each of our world wide offices without having to identify myself other then putting my identity card in front of the reader.
- This is a very user friendly, controllable and safe way of entrance security and control.

The third example is the way it is used at a football club in Holland. They just started for their regular visitors who have a season ticket, putting an RFID chip inside that ticket. A picture of them is also put on the ticket. Every time they enter the stadium they look into some kind of mirror that is taking a profile of their face. This profile is now compared to the profile of the face that is placed on the ticket of the visitor and if it is a match they can walk through.
This one has several benefits:
- Because the match is done in a few seconds, the visitors can pass through a lot faster then in the old situation;
- It is a safety to be sure that you do not give your ticket to someone else;
- The stadium can prevent people to enter the stadium who are not allowed to.

Of course there can be found many situations where either the benefits are not clear yet, or the security and privacy issues are
not solved and cleared. But just let start using it in closed loops and keep these discussions. Only discussions about these issues will give the world wide mass introduction of RFID the acceptance needed.

Michel Bayings - CGE&Y

[stewart]

RFID may some day allow companies to "see" inventory levels and restock more quickly thereby ensuring consumers get the products they want. For example, Yesterday I drove to CompUSA to purchase a PDA cradle. CompUSA was out of stock. The 1 1/2 hour drive to the store and back was a waste of my time. With real time inventory management CompUSA may better employ just in time inventory management and better keep products in stock.

[bobt]

Hi,
If you want another interesting type project that I am in discussion about in an Asian country, it relates to marketing.

A mobile phone company wants to offer its customers the option of having a tag placed on their mobile phone.
They will be asked about their shopping, entertainment and eating likes dislikes to start things rolling.

The phone company is going to sign up all the shops in big shopping complexes.
The shops will also gather information from the shoppers that have their discount cards.

Scanners will be placed at the doorways and when mobile phone customers walk into the complexes they will get iSMS nfo on sales, new items etc.

That is a very rough outline of the idea and you never know it may even work and if you think about it there are many options and ways it could be used.

Bob

[Tom Napier]

Hi Bobt,
Please go to http://www.nfc-forum.org/. Near Field Communications is the program of HF RFID for this application. NFC or ISO 14443 are the only ways the public will ever allow RFID technology to be used on their person. Sony and Nokia have thought long and hard about privacy issues.
Cheers,
Tom Napier, RML
www.rfidcanada.com

[bobt]

Hi Tom,
I did post a reply but it did weird stuff when I submitted so if it doesn't post I will do it again later.

Regards,
Bob

[bobt]

Hi Tom,
It looks like my post went into the wide blue yonder.

Thanks for the info.
I do have a pretty fair knowledge of NFC but it is not what they are talking about here.
I have discussed it but they still keep talking tags. You do have to keep in mind that this is Asia and they have some things they like to try and in the long run we probably all benefit from those differences.

They have been using cell sites to do some of this stuff but it is pretty hit and miss as you can imagine. Drive near a shopping center and you get an SMS for a free second coffee at XYZ and you are running late for a meeting, last thing you want and the shop is paying for an SMS to a target that is not even in the center.

We will see what happens anyway.

Regards,
Bob