RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification, and it is a type of wireless communication that uses electromagnetic or electrostatic coupling in the radiofrequency region of the electromagnetic spectrum to uniquely identify an object, animal, or human. RFID is a technology that employs electromagnetic fields to identify and track tags attached to things.An RFID system consists of a radio transponder, a radio receiver, and a transmitter.The tag transmits digital data, usually, an identifiable inventory number, back to the reader when prompted by an electromagnetic probing pulse from a nearby RFID reader device. This id could be used to keep track of your inventory.
Types of RFID systems:
The three primary types of RFID systems are low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and ultra-high frequency (UHF) (UHF).
- Low frequency: The frequencies range from 30 to 500 kHz, with the most frequent being 125 kHz. The range of LF RFID transmissions is limited, ranging from a few inches to less than six feet.
- High frequency: The most frequent HF frequency is 13.56 MHz, with frequencies ranging from 3 to 30 MHz.The typical measurement may range from a few inches to a few feet.
- Ultra-high frequency: These may be read from 25 feet or more and range in frequency from 300 to 960 MHz, with 433 MHz being the most common.
Common uses:
- Amusement parks: To improve their customers’ theme-park experiences, Disney recently put RFID technology into their tickets, which eliminated the need for scanning and swiping in ride lines, resulting in shorter queues and lower staffing costs.
- Casinos: Loss prevention is one of the most popular uses for RFID technology, as demonstrated recently by a $1.5 million robbery prevented by RFID embedded poker chips.
- In guns: This could be interpreted as an attempt to settle – or at the very least facilitate – the gun control debate, which frequently appears to be stuck between the competing imperatives of freedom and security.
- Healthcare sector: There are several RFID applications in the healthcare industry, including medication management, hospital traffic flow optimization, and sophisticated equipment monitoring, to name a few. The technology is straightforward: Workers wear wristbands, and RFID scanners are placed near the faucets, allowing everyone to see who has washed their hands after using the restroom.
Conclusion:
RFID is a boon in the technology sector with an increasing number of uses every day. The global RFID market reached about $8.89 billion in 2014, up from $7.77 billion in 2013, and $6.96 billion in 2012. This search includes tags, readers, and software/services for RFID cards, labels, fobs, and various form factors. The market value is only expected to rise from here on with US$12.08 billion in 2020 to US$16.23 billion by 2029.