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Hardware IBM RFID Making Its Way to Scooters and Plastic Wrap
Nirav Sanghani (Blog) - January 14, 2007 2:58 AM

12 comment(s) - last by Gooberslot.. on Jan 15 at 9:27 PM

If you're one of those people that always loses your keys, this is perfect for you

Pliant announced on Thursday that it will be implementing the IBM radio frequency identification tracking software (RFID) platform into all of it's packaging products. Additionally, Honda Italia has also made to decision to use the chip on all its motorcycle parts in the warehouse.

CNET reports that Honda Italia plans on installing RFID chips and using the IBM software on all its motorcycle parts and tools to track them within the manufacturing plant. With scooter sales reaching 12.1 million last year, this tracking system will allow for efficiency in production.

Packaging manufacturer, Pliant, plans on selling plastic wrap embedded with RFID to consumer-goods companies who want to keep track of their products during shipment from the warehouse to the retailers. Allowing companies to track their shipments helps them know if their products are being tampered with before they hit shelves.

Many companies, such as Boeing, have already taken to the RFID chips to help streamline their businesses by improving accountability of tools, equipment, and other valuable assets. The chip is also used on U.S. passports and discs to try to stop piracy.

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I wonder

By bbomb on 1/14/2007 3:51:32 PM , Rating: 2

if a thief could use an RFID scanner to make a list of houses to hit with all these chips everywhere telling everyone what product it is that they are inside of.

RE: I wonder

By KristopherKubicki

(blog) on 1/14/2007 3:52:28 PM , Rating: 2

The thing is though that the range on RFID chips are just a few inches at best. It wouldn't be real easy to do that kind of thing I believe.

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RE: I wonder

By Azsen on 1/14/2007 4:09:43 PM , Rating: 2

Is it possible that the RFID receivers output could be increased so it could pick up RFID chips from long distances?

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RE: I wonder

By phil126 on 1/14/2007 4:47:44 PM , Rating: 3

Yes it is. Currenlty that is a problem with people stealing easypass ID's. That was also why Automobile manufatures have becom hesitant to use them instead of locks. GM and Toyota used RFID tags instead of keys on several models and had theft problems.
Also not all RFID tags are passive some are active and can respond with data as well. In factories the RFID tags have ranges of several meters just with "standard equpiment"
In the digital world encryption usually means very little with RFID unless you want to decrypt the information but if you just want to copy such as with keys and ID's then a copy is all you need.

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RE: I wonder

By creathir on 1/14/2007 6:25:21 PM , Rating: 2

You really cannot "pick up" the RFID data without being fairly close. Remember, RFID chips carry no power source. They do not broadcast. They MUST be energized. This means you need to transmit enough energy wirelessly to energize them. Once again, driving down the street to pick up ID numbers (which by themselves are worthless) is something that could would not be very practical to do to inventory a house.

I believe it would be MUCH easier to just look in the windows or something to that affect.

- Creathir

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RE: I wonder

By Christopher1 on 1/14/2007 10:39:04 PM , Rating: 2

Not necessarily. I remember reading in the Baltimore Sun about a guy who was able to get RFID's to energize from over 100 feet, by beaming energy at them.

The range also increased that you could read them at as well, from inches to 12 feet.

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RE: I wonder

By creathir on 1/14/2007 6:21:34 PM , Rating: 2

Actually, RFID has a range of about 5 yards or so (depending on chip type and equipment). Also, most RFID chips just store ID numbers for pulling info out of a database. This is much easier than encoding descriptive information onto the chip.

But for the purposes of driving by and collecting inventory on a house, as Kristopher said, this would not be possible with RFID. The range is just not there.

- Creathir

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RE: I wonder

By Azsen on 1/14/2007 6:28:17 PM , Rating: 2

Yes, but lets say the range of the RFID chip is 4m or so, is it possible that the RFID receiver which reads the RFID chip can extend/boost the radio signal to activate the RFID chip from say 50m away? So in effect the RFID chip thinks the receiver is only a few metres away.

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RE: I wonder

By AnnihilatorX on 1/15/2007 8:25:33 AM , Rating: 2

There are 2 types of RFID. Passive RFID and Active RFID.

Through an appropriate transponder, Passive RFIDs can have range of around 6m. Active RFIDs can have ranges of 100m

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RE: I wonder

By Gooberslot on 1/15/2007 9:27:58 PM , Rating: 2

Maybe drive by wouldn't work but the thief could still walk up to the front door and know whether it was worth it or not.

I think that if they're going to stick RFID tags in products it should be in the packaging where it can be thrown away.

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RE: I wonder

By SunAngel on 1/14/2007 6:29:44 PM , Rating: 4

i would appreciate it if they decided to imbed them in socks. i can't count the number of socks i've lost in public laundrymats over the years.

they could imbed them onto loose spouses...imbed them on the new lcd watches and could have real-time updates on their location.

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