Interesting RFID Applications
A few days ago, my editor was flipping through an old issue of Wired magazine and stumbled upon an article that she thought my readers might want to read. It’s a list of the “10 Best uses For RFID Tags.” It’s a somewhat a tongue-in-cheek look at oddball uses for RFID. Here’s the list as Wired printed it.
1// Saguaro cacti
On the landscaping black market, these succulents sell for more than $1,000. Arizona’s Saguaro National Park plans to use RFIDs to track hot cacti.
2// Indian elephants
The New Delhi forest department requires pet jumbos be chipped to prevent trafficking. No parades until implanted.
3// Surgical sponges
One out of every thousand or so intra-abdominal surgery patients “retains” a sponge. Oops! With SmartSponges, docs can find stowaways by passing a wand over the body.
4// Mexicans
Security firm Xega uses GPS chips to track kidnapped people—a pretty big market in a nation where 6,500 were abducted last year.
5// Pirelli tires
A chip inside the new Cyber Tyre transmits info on road conditions and friction coefficients to the car’s computer.
6// Clubbers
At Barcelona’s Baja Beach Club, VIPs are injected with RFIDs linked to debit accounts, making wallets passé. Handy when all you’re wearing is a thong.
7// Tokyo
The city aims to blanket itself with microchips—from bus stops to restaurants. Tourists may soon get maps, schedules, tips, and other info just by waving their cell phones.
8// Police badges
The Blackinton SmartShield badge hides an ID chip, preventing knockoffs. Good idea: Remember Terminator 2?
9// Inmates
Forced to release prisoners due to overcrowding, Britain wants to chip them. Cops would know if, say, a felon enters a school.
10// Cat doors
Kitty flaps are great—until you find a possum hanging from your towel rack. The Pet Porte waves through only preapproved critters.
RFID is a technology that’s been around for a while, but it still growing. While some of these may be “funny” uses, it makes you realize how much potential these little chips hold. Thanks to Wired for putting this together.
