Applied Communications Technology n.a.shulver, March 2012 updated March 2013 RFID identification...

Applied Communications Technology

n.a.shulver, March 2012 updated March 2013

RFID identification1.What is RFID?

2.Some examples

3.How does it work?

4. Industrial uses

5.Other uses

6.Developments

7.Downsides

8.Security

9.Conclusion Tech Insect,http://www.techinsect.com/2011/04/rfid-radio-frequency-identification.html


Radio-frequency id tags

n.a.shulver, March 2012

A wireless non-contact systemUses radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to

transfer data to and from a tagA tag is usually attached to an object, for the

purposes of automatic identification and trackingSome tags use a local power sourceSome tags require no battery and are powered

by the electromagnetic fields used to read them



Examples of RFID Tags in use

Author: John Haslam,http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sheep%27s_face,_Malta.jpg

Stiles Machinery,http://www.stilesmachinery.com/solutions/ wp-content/uploads/2010/03/RFIDLoad_02.jpg



How do they work?Tags emit radio waves (electromagnetic

radiation at radio frequencies)Tags contains electronically stored information

which can be read from up to several metres away

Unlike bar codes or QR codes, tags do not need to be within line of sight of the reader

Tags can be inside tracked objectsMany tags may be scanned simultaneously



Use in industryAn RFID tag attached to a car during production

can be used to track its progress through the assembly line

Components can be tracked through warehouses

Livestock and pets may have tags injected, allowing positive identification of the animal

RFID-based personal identity cards can give employees access to locked areas of a building



Uses in industryAn RFID tag mounted in a car can be used to bill

the motorist for access to toll roads or parkingRFID tags can replace the barcodes on library

itemsHospitals use both active and passive RFID

technology– Active tags tracks high-value and frequently

moved items

– Passive tags track smaller, lower cost items



Other usesRFID can provide start and end timings for

animals, vehicles and people in sports– It can be very difficult to get accurate stopwatch

readings, for example the London Marathon

Some London colleges use an RFID card system for checking people in and out of a main gate

– This tracks attendance and helps prevent unauthorized entrance

RFID tags may also be used as parking season tickets, railcards, bus passes, hotel keys...



RFID Developments In 2007, Hitachi announced tiny dust-like tags

(0.05mm squares) Each dust tag can store a 38 digit ID number Because of the lack of antennas, they can only

be scanned from a few millimetres distance

What would you use them for?



RFID Downside RFID is relatively expensive to install RFID tags installed in liquids and metal

products can be very hard to read Forklift trucks, walkie-talkies, mobile phone

towers can interfere with RFID radio waves RFID may be perceived as invasive

technology However, many stores can deactivate RFID

tags as the product is purchased


Invasion of freedom? RFID may be perceived as invasive technology In some cases RFID-based personal ID cards are

objected to on religious grounds, see: “Student Suspended for Refusing to Wear RFID Tracker Loses Lawsuit” - http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/01/student-rfid-suspension/

The Judeo-Christian bibles contain some warnings about authorities that control people by forcing them to be identifiable:

“… It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.” Revelation 13:16-17

As a corporate developer you have to tread lightly




RFID Security Issues Many problems are associated with remotely

readable information devices No easy way to tell if you are being scanned Do you want people to know what library books

you have selected? Or your bus ticket destination? Or your passport information? Tag data can be encrypted or

just oddly encodedFoeBuD e.V.

http://www.foebud.org/rfid



Other Ideas The Internet of Things

– Uses RFID, barcodes, QR codes to uniquely tag everything

– The physical world gets “digitised”

– Location-based services for everything

– Also see: “Weightless”

But people in an urban environment have around 1000 to 5000 trackable objects each…



Conclusion RFID tagging is important industrially At a consumer level, there are some security

issues that can be solved, with care And other problems that really cannot be fixed Pervasive tagging has the potential to change

how we interact with our environment Cheaper, smaller tags enable new applications Even mid-sized businesses are showing an

interest now



Further Reading RFID Chips Are Here, Scott Granneman, 2003-06-26 http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/169

Dr Fun cartoon, D.Farley 2003 http://larrinski.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/rfid-tag.jpg

RFID or Barcodes: Which Are Better for Small Businesses? Anita Campbell, October 22, 2010

http://smallbiztrends.com/2010/10/rfid-or-barcodes-which-are-better-for-small-businesses.html



Further Reading What is RFID? (no author, no date)

http://www.uktelematicsonline.co.uk/html/rfid.html

Dash 7 Alliance, 2009 (ISO/IEC 18000-7 RFID implementation)

http://www.dash7.org/

The Bellagio Gets Robbed, Justin Rohrlich Dec 15, 2010

http://www.minyanville.com/businessmarkets/articles/bellagio-wynn-casino-rfid-gambling-las/12/15/2010/id/31714

Internet of Things, Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things

Applied Communications Technology n.a.shulver, March 2012 updated March 2013 RFID identification...

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