RFID In Everyday Life
Radio Frequency Identification. It sounds intimidating, but really, RFID is something that is simplifying everything that we do every day.
If you work at an office and you have been given a card or a badge that needs to be swiped through a box on the wall to give you access to the back room or your office, that is RFID. If you work at a factory that makes cars the parts that go into each vehicle can be tagged from the beginning–in their crate or box, to the end–the finished product being driven off the line.
At the mall, the plastic tag that they take off that purchase before they put it in the bag? That is RFID. The tag makes sure that the item stays in the store, isn’t stolen or lost and helps the manager maintain proper inventory levels. Once taken off, that item is yours and you can leave the store without the embarrassing beep of the alarm.
How do you know if that hospital parking lot is full? Because there is a reader at the entrance that will tell each car how many spots are available. How? It ‘reads’ the tickets and knows how many spots can be used at any given time. More people leaving means more spots for you, all at the touch of a button.
We have all seen the meter men or ladies coming down the street with a hand held device that they ‘read’ your meter with. This information is instantly uploaded to the main utility branch in your town and your bill is then forthcoming. No mess, no muss, just a clean read of how much energy you have used since they were there before.
Are you going across an International Border any time soon? RFID is used there as well, as each passport is put through a reader and the officer is told immediately if there are any warrants out for your arrest. They can also know in real time how many times you have crossed and when as well as any violations they should be aware of.
In short, RFID is everywhere. It is in our grocery stores, in our hospitals and doctor’s offices, in our schools and in our libraries. It is a great technology that helps us streamline what we would do anyway, but it makes it simpler to go about our daily lives. What would we do without it?