Radio-frequency identification (RFD)

Last entry, I talked about satellite imagery surveillance where i give some brief insights of what is satellites, the types and its specific purpose. In this entry however, i will move to the next surveillance technology which is Radio-frequency identification (RFID). So what is RFID?

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a piece of technology that usually comes in a form of little tags/microchips. It can holds information and to read it, a RFID reader is needed which uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track chips attached to objects. 

There are two types of tags which is passive and active tags. Passive tags collect energy from a nearby RFID reader's interrogating radio waves while active tags have a local power source such as a battery and may operate at hundreds of meters from the RFID reader. It can also can be read when the tags is embedded in the tracked object. 

RFID can be used in a variety of applications, such as:

• Access management
• Tracking of goods
• Tracking of persons and animals
• Toll collection and contactless payment
• Machine readable travel documents
• Smartdust (for massively distributed sensor networks)
• Tracking sports memorabilia to verify authenticity
• Airport baggage tracking logistics
• Timing sporting events

In surveillance however, there can be several situation and motives. These list below are the function of surveillance that can be applied in RFID

1) Employees tag.

    Some companies prefer to tag their workers by incorporating RFID tags in employee ID badges. 

2) Baby tagging

    RFID tags also used in newborn baby in the form of ID bracelets to prevent kidnappings.

3) Human embedded micro tags

    Recently there has been a tags called Verichip which is a variation of RFID device with the size of

    slightly larger than a grain of rice, and is injected under the skin. There has been reports that the 

    injection is as painful as being shot. The chip is encased in glass, and stores a "VeriChip Subscriber

    Number" which the scanner uses to access their personal information, via the Internet, from  

    Verichip Inc.'s database, the "Global VeriChip Subscriber Registry". It is used for identity   

    verification, location traking.

  

4) Wildlife animal tags

     Usually when we watch wildlife documentary, we usually see the the researcher tagging the

     animal with some sort of tracking devices that allows them to track the location and the

     movement pattern and behavior pattern of the animal. It comes in the form of external 

     devices and embedded devices.      

However, in my opinion, this technology may cause harmful effects. Among them are

1) Cancer 

2) Security risks such as vulnerable to being read by third-party scanners (scanning secretly, someone

    could steal the information on a chip and clone the signal, enabling that person to impersonate a  

    chipped individual)

 

Smart Tag from Touch N Go is an example of RFID system and it allows the driver to tag without stopping and open the window.

A Verichip twice the size of a grain of rice (left)