Sensing where things are going- Smart RFID tags

Passive RFID is great for identifying things.  Stick a tag on something, and that something now has a voice.  It is a limited voice though.  Basically, all it has to say is "Hello, my number is X".  We rely on systems aT a higher level to make this voice valuable. Specifically RFID Software is what adds intelligence.

However, It would be useful if the tag could be a bit more dynamic; if the tag could say something about its context. 

 Putting things in context

In order for the tag to do this, it needs to be capable of sensing its environment and deciding how/what to respond to an interrogator based on that information.  Equipping RFID tags with electronics that can measure physical quantities (light, temperature, acceleration …) addresses the former.  I think that the latter is best tackled by shifting from the current state machine based devices to ones that are based on low power microprocessors.  This will enable the tag to perform arbitrary computation: it will be programmable. This will require on-board intelligence and an RFID Operating System.

 A tagged asset vocabulary

As a programmer working with RFID, the thought of putting code on the tag is intriguing.  It seems like more of a bottom-up approach to finding out what a tagged item is doing.  For example, let's say we're only interested in objects that are in motion.  Accelerometer outfitted tags could be programmed to detect acceleration and only respond if this value meets some condition. 

 The previous example was basic and could be done with a state machine, but combining sensors with the freedom of programmability is ultimately a more flexible way to give tagged assets a bigger vocabulary. 

 Is this still RFID???  Intel has a good acronym: WISP

 

My name is Jeff Apostolos and for more info please contact me on info@odinrfid.com or visit ODIN website