An RFID tag can be affixed to an object and used to track tools, equipment, inventory, assets, people, or other objects. RFID offers advantages over manual systems or use of
barcodes. The tag can be read if passed near a reader, even if it is covered by the object or not visible. The tag can be read inside a case, carton, box or other container, and unlike barcodes, RFID tags can be read hundreds at a time; barcodes can only be read one at a time using current devices. Some RFID tags, such as battery-assisted passive tags, are also able to monitor temperature and humidity. In 2011, the cost of passive tags started at US$0.09 each; special tags, meant to be mounted on metal or withstand gamma sterilization, could cost up to US$5. Active tags for tracking containers, medical assets, or monitoring environmental conditions in data centers started at US$50 and could be over US$100 each. Battery-Assisted Passive (BAP) tags were in the US$3–10 range. 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) • Locating lost airport baggage •
Timing sporting events • Tracking and billing processes • Monitoring the physical state of perishable goods In 2010, three factors drove a significant increase in RFID usage: decreased cost of equipment and tags, increased performance to a reliability of 99.9%, and a stable international standard around HF and UHF passive RFID. The adoption of these standards were driven by EPCglobal, a joint venture between
GS1 and GS1 US, which were responsible for driving global adoption of the barcode in the 1970s and 1980s. The EPCglobal Network was developed by the
Auto-ID Center.
Commerce RFID tag used by
Walmart . Front, back, and transparency scan. RFID provides a way for organizations to identify and manage stock, tools and equipment (
asset tracking), etc. without manual data entry. Manufactured products such as automobiles or garments can be tracked through the factory and through shipping to the customer. Automatic identification with RFID can be used for inventory systems. Many organisations require that their vendors place RFID tags on all shipments to improve
supply chain management. Warehouse Management System incorporate this technology to speed up the receiving and delivery of the products and reduce the cost of labor needed in their warehouses.
Retail RFID is used for
item-level tagging in retail stores. This can enable more accurate and lower-labor-cost supply chain and store inventory tracking, as is done at
Lululemon, though physically locating items in stores requires more expensive technology. RFID tags can be used at checkout; for example, at some stores of the French retailer
Decathlon, customers perform
self-checkout by either using a smartphone or putting items into a bin near the register that scans the tags without having to orient each one toward the scanner. On leaving the shop, customers have to pass near an RFID detector; if they have items with active RFID tags, an alarm sounds, indicating an unpaid-for item. Due to the tags being a simple LC oscillator circuit and not any kind of data storage chip, it is however not possible to see what kind of item is being taken. Casinos can use RFID to authenticate
poker chips, and can selectively invalidate any chips known to be stolen.
Access control RFID tags are widely used in
identification badges, replacing earlier
magnetic stripe cards. These badges need only be held within a certain distance of the reader to authenticate the holder. Tags can also be placed on vehicles, which can be read at a distance, to allow entrance to controlled areas without having to stop the vehicle and present a card or enter an access code.
Advertising In 2010, Vail Resorts began using UHF Passive RFID tags in ski passes. Automotive brands have adopted RFID for social media product placement more quickly than other industries. Mercedes was an early adopter in 2011 at the
PGA Golf Championships, and a
Hyundai stand in the 2013 Geneva Motor Show uses RFID for streamlining social activation marketing.
Promotion tracking To prevent retailers diverting products, manufacturers are exploring the use of RFID tags on promoted merchandise so that they can track exactly which product has sold through the supply chain at fully discounted prices.
Transportation and logistics Yard management, shipping and freight and distribution centers use RFID tracking. In the
railroad industry, RFID tags mounted on locomotives and rolling stock identify the owner, identification number and type of equipment and its characteristics. This can be used with a database to identify the type, origin, destination, etc. of the commodities being carried. In commercial aviation, RFID is used to support maintenance on commercial aircraft. A standard for RFID
baggage tags has been established by the
IATA at the
Passenger Services Conference in Geneva of November 2005. The
Las Vegas McCarran International Airport and
Hong Kong International Airport were among several airports to have tests conducted, concurring the presence of functional RFID baggage tags. Some countries are using RFID for vehicle registration and enforcement. RFID can help detect and retrieve stolen cars. RFID is used in
intelligent transportation systems. In
New York City, RFID readers are deployed at intersections to track
E-ZPass tags as a means for monitoring the traffic flow. The data is fed through the broadband wireless infrastructure to the traffic management center to be used in
adaptive traffic control of the traffic lights. Where ship, rail, or highway tanks are being loaded, a fixed RFID antenna contained in a transfer hose can read an RFID tag affixed to the tank, positively identifying it.
Infrastructure management and protection At least one company has introduced RFID to identify and locate underground infrastructure assets such as
gas pipelines,
sewer lines, electrical cables, communication cables, etc.
Passports The first RFID passports ("
E-passport") were issued by
Malaysia in 1998. In addition to information also contained on the visual data page of the passport, Malaysian e-passports record the travel history (time, date, and place) of entry into and exit out of the country. Other countries that insert RFID in passports include Norway (2005), Japan (March 1, 2006), most
EU countries (around 2006), Singapore (2006), Australia, Hong Kong, the United States (2007), the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (2006), India (June 2008), Serbia (July 2008), Republic of Korea (August 2008), Taiwan (December 2008), Albania (January 2009), The Philippines (August 2009), Republic of Macedonia (2010), Argentina (2012), Canada (2013), Uruguay (2015) and Israel (2017). Standards for RFID passports are determined by the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and are contained in ICAO Document 9303, Part 1, Volumes 1 and 2 (6th edition, 2006). ICAO refers to the
ISO/IEC 14443 RFID chips in e-passports as "contactless integrated circuits". ICAO standards provide for e-passports to be identifiable by a standard e-passport logo on the front cover. Since 2006, RFID tags included in new
United States passports store the same information that is printed within the passport, and include a digital picture of the owner. The United States Department of State initially stated the chips could only be read from a distance of , but after widespread criticism and a clear demonstration that special equipment can read the test passports from away, the passports were designed to incorporate a thin metal lining to make it more difficult for unauthorized readers to
skim information when the passport is closed. The department will also implement
Basic Access Control (BAC), which functions as a
personal identification number (PIN) in the form of characters printed on the passport data page. Before a passport's tag can be read, this PIN must be entered into an RFID reader. The BAC also enables the encryption of any communication between the chip and interrogator.
Transportation payments In many countries, RFID tags can be used to pay for mass transit fares on bus, trains, or subways, or to collect tolls on highways. Some
bike lockers are operated with RFID cards assigned to individual users. A prepaid card is required to open or enter a facility or locker and is used to track and charge based on how long the bike is parked. The
Zipcar car-sharing service uses RFID cards for locking and unlocking cars and for member identification. In Singapore, RFID replaces paper Season Parking Ticket (SPT).
Animal identification RFID tags for animals represent one of the oldest uses of RFID. Originally meant for large ranches and rough terrain, since the outbreak of
mad-cow disease, RFID has become crucial in
animal identification management. An
implantable RFID tag or
transponder can also be used for animal identification. The transponders are better known as PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tags, passive RFID, or "chips" on animals. The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency began using RFID tags as a replacement for barcode tags. Currently, CCIA tags are used in
Wisconsin and by United States farmers on a voluntary basis. The
USDA is currently developing its own program. RFID tags are required for all cattle sold in Australia and in some states, sheep and goats as well.
Human implantation (March 16, 2009).
Biocompatible microchip implants that use RFID technology are being routinely implanted in humans. The first-ever human to receive an RFID microchip implant was American artist
Eduardo Kac in 1997. Kac implanted the microchip live on television (and also live on the Internet) in the context of his artwork
Time Capsule. A year later, British professor of
cybernetics Kevin Warwick had an RFID chip implanted in his arm by his
general practitioner, George Boulos. In 2004, the '
Baja Beach Club' operated by
Conrad Chase in
Barcelona and
Rotterdam offered implanted chips to identify their VIP customers, who could in turn use it to pay for service. In 2009, British scientist
Mark Gasson had an advanced glass capsule RFID device surgically implanted into his left hand and subsequently demonstrated how a computer virus could wirelessly infect his implant and then be transmitted on to other systems. The
Food and Drug Administration in the United States approved the use of RFID chips in humans in 2004. There is controversy regarding human applications of implantable RFID technology including concerns that individuals could potentially be tracked by carrying an identifier unique to them. Privacy advocates have protested against implantable RFID chips, warning of potential abuse. Some are concerned this could lead to abuse by an authoritarian government, to removal of freedoms, and to the emergence of an "ultimate
panopticon", a society where all citizens behave in a socially accepted manner because others might be watching. On July 22, 2006, Reuters reported that two hackers, Newitz and Westhues, at a conference in New York City demonstrated that they could clone the RFID signal from a human implanted RFID chip, indicating that the device was not as secure as was previously claimed. The UFO religion
Universe People is notorious online for their vocal opposition to human RFID chipping, which they claim is a
saurian attempt to enslave the human race; one of their web domains is "dont-get-chipped".
Institutions Hospitals and healthcare Adoption of RFID in the medical industry has been widespread and very effective. Hospitals are among the first users to combine both active and passive RFID. Active tags track high-value, or frequently moved items, and passive tags track smaller, lower cost items that only need room-level identification. Medical facility rooms can collect data from transmissions of RFID badges worn by patients and employees, as well as from tags assigned to items such as mobile medical devices. The
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced plans to deploy RFID in hospitals across America to improve care and reduce costs. Since 2004, a number of U.S. hospitals have begun implanting patients with RFID tags and using RFID systems; the systems are typically used for workflow and inventory management. The use of RFID to prevent mix-ups between
sperm and
ova in
IVF clinics is also being considered. In October 2004, the FDA approved the USA's first RFID chips that can be implanted in humans. The 134 kHz RFID chips, from VeriChip Corp. can incorporate personal medical information and could save lives and limit injuries from errors in medical treatments, according to the company. Anti-RFID activists
Katherine Albrecht and
Liz McIntyre discovered an
FDA Warning Letter that spelled out health risks. According to the FDA, these include "adverse tissue reaction", "migration of the implanted transponder", "failure of implanted transponder", "electrical hazards" and "magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] incompatibility."
Libraries Libraries have used RFID to replace the barcodes on library items. The tag can contain identifying information or may just be a key into a database. An RFID system may replace or supplement bar codes and may offer another method of inventory management and self-service checkout by patrons. It can also act as a
security device, taking the place of the more traditional
electromagnetic security strip. It is estimated that over 30 million library items worldwide now contain RFID tags, including some in the
Vatican Library in
Rome. Since RFID tags can be read through an item, there is no need to open a book cover or DVD case to scan an item, and a stack of books can be read simultaneously. Book tags can be read while books are in motion on a
conveyor belt, which reduces staff time. This can all be done by the borrowers themselves, reducing the need for library staff assistance. With portable readers, inventories could be done on a whole shelf of materials within seconds. However, as of 2008, this technology remained too costly for many smaller libraries, and the conversion period has been estimated at 11 months for an average-size library. A 2004 Dutch estimate was that a library which lends 100,000 books per year should plan on a cost of €50,000 (borrow- and return-stations: 12,500 each, detection porches 10,000 each; tags 0.36 each). RFID taking a large burden off staff could also mean that fewer staff will be needed, resulting in some of them getting laid off, In fact, library budgets are being reduced for personnel and increased for infrastructure, making it necessary for libraries to add automation to compensate for the reduced staff size. Because some RFID tags can be read up to away, there is some concern over whether sensitive information could be collected from an unwilling source. However, library RFID tags do not contain any patron information, and the tags used in the majority of libraries use a frequency only readable from approximately . An example was the custom-designed temporary research application, "eXspot", at the
Exploratorium, a science museum in
San Francisco,
California. A visitor entering the museum received an RF tag that could be carried as a card. The eXspot system enabled the visitor to receive information about specific exhibits. Aside from the exhibit information, the visitor could take photographs of themselves at the exhibit. It was also intended to allow the visitor to take data for later analysis. The collected information could be retrieved at home from a "personalized" website keyed to the RFID tag.
Schools and universities In 2004, school authorities in the Japanese city of
Osaka made a decision to start chipping children's clothing, backpacks, and student IDs in a primary school. Later, in 2007, a school in
Doncaster, England, piloted a monitoring system designed to keep tabs on pupils by tracking radio chips in their uniforms.
St Charles Sixth Form College in west
London, England, starting in 2008, uses an RFID card system to check in and out of the main gate, to both track attendance and prevent unauthorized entrance. Similarly,
Whitcliffe Mount School in
Cleckheaton, England, uses RFID to track pupils and staff in and out of the building via a specially designed card. In the Philippines, during 2012, some schools already use RFID in IDs for borrowing books. Gates in those particular schools also have RFID scanners for buying items at school shops and canteens. RFID is also used in school libraries, and to sign in and out for student and teacher attendance. The
NFL in the United States equips players with RFID chips that measures speed, distance and direction traveled by each player in real-time. Currently, cameras stay focused on the
quarterback; however, numerous plays are happening simultaneously on the field. The RFID chip will provide new insight into these simultaneous plays. The chip triangulates the player's position within six inches and will be used to digitally
broadcast replays. The RFID chip will make individual player information accessible to the public. The data will be available via the NFL 2015 app. The RFID chips are manufactured by
Zebra Technologies. Zebra Technologies tested the RFID chip in 18 stadiums last year to track vector data.
Complement to barcode RFID tags are not necessarily "superior" to barcodes. RFID tags are often a complement, but not a substitute, for
Universal Product Code (UPC) or
European Article Number (EAN) barcodes. They may never completely replace barcodes, due in part to their higher cost and the advantage of multiple data sources on the same object. Also, unlike RFID labels, barcodes can be generated and distributed electronically by e-mail or mobile phone, for printing or display by the recipient. An example is airline
boarding passes. The new
EPC, along with several other schemes, is widely available at reasonable cost. The storage of data associated with tracking items will require many
terabytes. Filtering and categorizing RFID data is needed to create useful information. It is likely that goods will be tracked by the pallet using RFID tags, and at package level with UPC or EAN from unique barcodes. The unique identity is a mandatory requirement for RFID tags, despite special choice of the numbering scheme. RFID tag data capacity is large enough that each individual tag will have a unique code, while current barcodes are limited to a single type code for a particular product. The uniqueness of RFID tags means that a product may be tracked as it moves from location to location while being delivered to a person. This may help to combat theft and other forms of product loss. The tracing of products is an important feature that is well supported with RFID tags containing a unique identity of the tag and the serial number of the object. This may help companies cope with quality deficiencies and resulting recall campaigns, but also contributes to concern about tracking and profiling of persons after the sale.
Waste management Since around 2007, there has been increasing development in the use of RFID in the
waste management industry. RFID tags are installed on waste collection carts, linking carts to the owner's account for easy billing and service verification. The tag is embedded into a garbage and recycle container, and the RFID reader is affixed to the garbage and recycle trucks. RFID also measures a customer's set-out rate and provides insight as to the number of carts serviced by each waste collection vehicle. This RFID process replaces traditional "
pay as you throw" (PAYT)
municipal solid waste usage-pricing models.
Telemetry Active RFID tags have the potential to function as low-cost remote sensors that broadcast
telemetry back to a base station. Applications of tagometry data could include sensing of road conditions by implanted
beacons, weather reports, and noise level monitoring. Passive RFID tags can also report sensor data. For example, the
Wireless Identification and Sensing Platform is a passive tag that reports temperature, acceleration and capacitance to commercial Gen2 RFID readers. It is possible that active or battery-assisted passive (BAP) RFID tags could broadcast a signal to an in-store receiver to determine whether the RFID tag – and by extension, the product it is attached to – is in the store. ==Regulation and standardization==