RFID Technology and its Applications
RFID Applications
Radiofrequency Identification or RFID technology is taking over the orthodox bar code technology in various sectors now. It can supplement bar coding and other automation to improve safety and efficiency. It has various applications in various sectors. But before diving straight into that, let us first understand what RFID is exactly.
What is RFID Technology and how does it work?
RFID technology includes wireless data capture and transaction processing. It uses electromagnetic fields to identify tags attached on different objects. These tags contain electronically-stored information. RFID utilizes a small electronic device comprising a chip (which carries a unique identifier for the object) and an antenna.
Using RFID technology, items can be scanned within a few feet of the reader. In contrast to the bar code technology, RFID doesn’t require a direct contact. In addition to this, RFID readers can read hundreds of items at once. To show the drastic difference between these two technologies, the University of Arkansas did a study and scanned 10,000 items. While it took them 53 hours to scan them with the help of bar code technology, RFID technology did it in just 2 hours!
Applications of RFID Technology in the real world
1.Item level inventory tracking – Tracking items through the supply chain all the way to the point of sale is an overwhelming process. When handled with the RFID reader, store employees can count inventory in a matter of minutes. It save their valuable time and effort.
2. Attendee Tracking – Managing a large conference is not an easy task. But RFID is making it easier to organize large gatherings by eliminating the registration lines at the entrances. It keeps the flow of traffic at steady pace while moving in and out of the seminars.
3. Supply Chain Visibility – The environment of manufacturing, shipping, and distribution can be a bit chaotic. Winning in supply chain means improving quality, increasing efficiency, and reducing errors. All this can be done with visibility provided by RFID.
4. IT Industry – Investing in server blades, laptops and other IT asset peripherals can be a costly task for any company. IT asset tags gives you the ability to do an inventory count quickly and make sure that everything is in place.
5. Library Systems – RFID helps improve efficiency of circulation operations. It enables the library systems check-out and check-in faster as RFID tags can be read from multiple angle, unlike the barcodes.
6. Construction Industry – Materials is the construction industry are most probably the largest project expenditure. It can be a problematic task to find materials on large job sites. RFID solutions take the guess work out of the equation.
7. Sports Industry – Timing marathons is one of the most popular uses of RFID. It provides a seamless consumer experience as participants never realized that they are being timed.
8. Location Tracking – We sometimes need to track locations of assets, employees, or consumers to measure several statistics. RFID systems provide visibility in any number of locations.
These were some of the real world applications of the RFID Tags. Do you have more examples in mind? Let us know by commenting below.
