RFID Gazette

Mark Roberti, founder and editor of RFID Journal, takes exception to certain technologies such as RuBee and HP Memory Spot being labelled as alternatives to RFID. He sets the record straight that these are both RFID technologies. Fair enough.

I guess despite my own loose use of "alternative", I'd pretty much have to agree with him. But I think it's also a question of who you're writing for. For industry insiders, these technologies are viewed as being within the domain of RFID, as they probably should be. For a more general audience who might be used to slotting things into niche categories, these technologies might be perceived as being alternatives to existing RFID technology. I know I'll be more careful how I present "RFID alternatives" in the future, but I guess I've tended to use the term in a looser sense than maybe I should have.

RFID technology has a rich set of uses, so whether a related technology should be labelled as an alternative or a variation, or something else, depends on its full functionality. If it can fully (or nearly so) replace RFID systems without using the same principles, then it's an alternative. (E.g., in my opinion, VLID - Visible Light IDentification, is an alternative, but compatible to RFID.) Under that definition, many of the "alternatives" presented here are really "variations" to RFID.

If the technology in question only replaces a portion of RFID functionality, then what do you call it? My memory fails me, but I can't think of a word in English that works here. Then there are technologies that enhance RFID but are not explicitly functional alternatives.

For example, earlier posts here have covered biometric methods such as palm vein scans, I think that it's incorrect to say that they are full alternatives to RFID. RFID has far more uses than just identification, and biometrics are purely for identification. That's not to say that RFID and biometrics are not being combined.

That said, I will try to cover some more alternatives and variations to RFID in the future.

A study on polar bears in Alaska, by members of the USGS (US Geological Survey) shows that some types of RFID tags can be read from as far away as 1500 feet, while the reader is in motion (in this case, a helicopter). In terms of savings, the RFID ear tags cost US$35 and the battery lasts five years. Compare this to the older satellite radio collars at US$4,000, with batteries only lasting two years. Obviously, the radio collars can be tracked at a greater distance.

While the RFID Journal article linked above does not mention it, researchers have noticed recent cases of cannibalism in polar bears in the Arctic - something that is previously undocumented.

The Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2007 has had a total of $17 million added for projects either directly or indirectly related toRFID. [via RFID Law Blog]

The state of Ohio has followed in the footsteps of the state of Wisconsin in barring the forced implantation of RFID chips into people.The state is, however, using RFID-enabled wristbands on state prisoners. [via RFID Blog]

Psion Teklogix has gained a US$1.8 mln contract from the DoD. [via RFID News]

The German government is considering using RFID tags for more major public events, after the success of the massive RFID trial at the FIFAWorld Cup soccer event. [via Heise Online]

For convenience, here is a list of links to RFID-related articles posted this past week, in order of oldest to newest.

1. Database of RFID Case Studies
2. Hewlett-Packard Joins the NFC Forum
3. I Am Not A Number - Soccer Players Being Implanted With RFID?
4. 3M Scores A Triple-play With US Govt RFID Contracts
5. What is ZigBee's Relationship to RFID?
6. Another Sport Turns To RFID
7. OTI Global Wins Contracts For Contactless Transit Payments
8. RFID Roundup #1
9. RFID Roundup #2
10. RFID Roundup #3

IBM and T3Ci finished the interoperability testing of a new EPCIS RFID software standard, based on EPCGlobal's EPC (Electronic Product Code), which allows the exchange and query of RFID data. T3Ci is a maker of RFID analytics software. This new feature will allow RFID data sharing across systems. Unilever North America is apparently piloting the standard.

ExtremeRFID has an podcast on RFID between eWeek Senior Editor Kevin Fogarty and RFID expert Fran Rabuck, about the implications of China joining the EU's BRIDGE project.

ABI Research says that the US government should be soothing the fears of citizens regarding the new RFID-enabled smart e-passports. These passports are expected to start being issued in August and are based on the ISO 14443 contactless technology standard.

RFID tag manufacturer Alien Technology was hoping to raise US$88M for their IPO, scheduled for July 27, 2006. (Although it appears that their expectations dropped from raising $120 mln.) A look at their Nasdaq page (Nasdaq: RFID - clever) after close of market on July 28th shows that they have not begun trading yet. A look at Alien's press releases webpage shows nothing dated after June 26th. So I guess we'll have to wait and see.

RF Code, an Arizona-based asset tracking solutions developer, has donated RFID equipment to the University of Ohio's RFID research programs. [via RFID blog]

State lawmakers are not so sure of the benefits of RFID, given the perception people have of the technology. state Sen. Joe Simitian is of that opinion, and wants to proceed with caution. He's one of several senators and lawmakers who have become aware of the divide of opinion about the use of RFID and are not sure how to proceed.

Mattel, the toymaker, is launching a kids gaming system called Hyperscan that combines CD-ROM content with RFID-enabled card games. Current offerings include a game base on Marvel's X-Men superheroes.

The UK's RAF (Royal Air Force) is conducting a year-long proof-of-concept trial of RFID on their Harrier jets. The plan to use the tags to help in expediting maintenance, particularly to track equipment across various zones. Source:  QinetiQ [via The IT Shield]

A recent IDTechEx report indicates that RFID system sales will increase worldwide from US$550 mln to nearly $7 bln over the next decade. Much of the growth will be in "disposable RFID sensors."

Apparently, privacy advocate Katherine Albrecht has been relatively successful with her Spychips book(s) and campaign to make RFID less intrusive on personal privacy. Her actions have generally raised awareness and compelled RFID chip makers to implement better security features in newer systems.

RFID manufacturer Intelleflex announced US$15.5 million in series B financing from Morgenthaler Ventures. Investors from series A financing also participated. Intelleflex makes RFID tags that are known as semi-active or semi-passive. Because of their battery, this type of tag tends to produce a stronger signal and, presumably, a better read rate. Like passive tags, they activate in the presence of an RFID reader's signal.

With the success of RFID trials during the FIFA World Cup football (soccer) tournament in Germany earlier this summer, several teams in the UK plan to use it for a variety of purposes including expediting access and reducing scalping. Apparently, Liverpool Football Club has been using contactless cards since 2003. Unfortunately for fans, the new practice reduces the chances of a season pass holder reselling a ticket from a single game. I know minor league hockey fans who sometimes do this when they cannot make a game.

Passive RFID tags have dropped down in price to as low as US$0.01 per. So the real cost in implementing RFID is in the enterprise information system, including database storage and data mining.

Privacy advocates will be happy to know that anti-RFID advocate Andrew Tannenbaum of Vrije University is working a on palm-sized anti-RFID device. There's no mention of the use of a Faraday Cage in their .

I previously mentioned IDTechEx's database of RFID case studies. According to SiliconFen, the report actually indicates that there are closer to 10,000 instances of RFID in use, with 60 new cases monthly. There are estimated to be around 1000 RFID suppliers.

OTI Global's Polish subsidiary won a tender with the city of Warsaw, Poland to provide contactless payment cards for transit and parking. The company had also won a similar contract with Israel, in June 2006, for their mass transit system.

Interestingly, their website does seem to mention the term RFID. (Many of their site links are not currently functioning, so I could not do a thorough check.) Their technology is based on the ISO 14443 standard for "proximity cards" and the ISO 7810 series of standards for ATM and similar convenience cards.

There has been previous controversy in regards to the DHS (US Dept of Homeland Security) claiming that ISO 14443 cards are not RFID. This letter from EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center) points out that this is an incorrect notion also put forth by a C|Net writer. ISO 14443 is simply a different application of RFID, and supposedly designed to have a limited read range.

OTI Global (NASDAQ: OTIV) has previously installed contactless payment systems for gas stations in Peru, and was one of four vendors selected by the US government to test RFID passports.

RFID Journal reported recently that NASCAR changed the rules for tire use by teams participating in events, and would be using RFID to track tires. Previously, teams purchased their own tires (one approved brand). Now, teams are required to lease tires and return them at the end of the race, in whatever state that they are in.

The reason for the rule change has to do with NASCAR's perception of an unfair competitive advantage. (Wealthier teams purchased extra tires for a race.) The approved NASCAR brand is Goodyear, who are now using RFID tags in the full-life cycle process of each tire, from manufacturing through distribution. NASCAR then uses those chips for the tire leasing program.

The RFID Journal article states that the trial run shows that tags held up under the extreme conditions of a race, including intense heat generated by car speeds of up to 200 mph.

Other sports employing RFID in some manner include golf and soccer. The recent FIFA World Cup soccer event in Germany held one of the largest trials of RFID, tagging approximately 5 million admittance tickets.

[Updated July 27th] If you've watched Star Trek, you're familiar with some of the technological features, particularly crew member location. Someone asks the computer for the location of a certain crew member, and the computer queries their badge, then responds. Well thanks to ZigBee, that ability is now close to reality. At least the location-tracking ability, if not the the voice-operated ability.

ZigBee is a wireless protocol built upon IEEE 802.15.4 and is related to several other wireless protocols. It's particularly useful for setting up WPANs (Wireless Personal Area Networks) of SEDs (Service Enabled Devices). Essentially, Zigbee allows enabled "appliances" to talk to each other, regardless of manufacturer. This has many uses in RFID applications.

The ZigBee protocol provides a low-speed, low-power communication for devices that need to communicate wirelessly within a 10-meter (33-foot) range (i.e., a WPAN). WPAN clusters can be connected together to extend that range.

There are three frequencies that provide different bit transfer rates. The most commonly used frequency is 2.4 Ghz, which provides 250 kbps (kilobits per second). Other shorter-wave frequencies offer lower transfer rates. This protocol allows communication with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other wireless networks as well.

ZigBee is not an alternative for RFID, but is rather a network platform, enabling RFID devices to communicate with each other as well as other networked devices.

This ability of ZigBee is being demonstrated at Saint Luke's East-Lee's Summit Hospital in Lee's Summit, Missouri, part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The trials there allow hospital staff to locate patients wearing RFID-enabled badges. RFID readers query for badges, and if any are present, transmit signals over the ZigBee WPAN network. The system has allowed doctors, nurses, and other staff to find patients, on different floors, with a high degree of accuracy.

These results bode well. Besides closed systems such as unwired hospitals, a similar  RFID + ZigBee setup could be used by miners or any environment where the safety of individuals is enhanced by non-intrusive tracking methods.

Additional sources:  [Expert Answer Center, IEEE WPAN projects, Network World]

Note: As per RFBase's comment below, this is a correction. The ZigBee capabilities demonstrated at St Luke's Hospital consists of the RFID tags inside patient badges querying for RF transceivers and communicating via ZigBee. There are no RFID readers, per se, and thus these do not communicate over a WPAN network, as indicated above.

Apologies for the error. Thanks to RFBase for the heads up.

The DHS (Department of Homeland Security) may be unsure how they want to use RFID, but other branches of the US government are not. As such, 3M Corporation (NYSE: MMM) has secured their 3rd RFID contract from an US government agency in as many weeks.

The latest contract is from the US military, to track medical records of over 150,000 personnel. This contract is for three years and just under $4 million. Last week, 3M received a contract from the US Tax Court to use RFID to track over 100,000 case files. Prior to that, 3M's file-tracking solution was purchased by the US Tax Division.

The file-tracking solution works on paper-based files, which produces all kinds of data management problems - such as misplaced files and inefficiencies in retrieval. Such a system could presumably be used in any practice which requires the use of paper files. For example, attorney's offices, some of which have purchased 3M's solution.

3M's shares have been on since about 1982, with a bit more volatility in the . With this triple play in the government sector, this may open up loads of opportunities for 3M in law enforcement, law offices, hospitals and more. Such moves on the part of the government also give a boost to the perception that RFID can be used in legitimate ways.

Additional sources: [via RFID Update, RFID Update daily e-newsletter, RFID Lowdown]