Radio Frequency Identification tags are small adhesive tags that can be attached to any object or person in transit for the purpose of tracking and keeping a record. These tags have electromagnetic fields through which information can be stored and read. There are two types of RFID tags that are active tags and passive tags. Active tags operate through a local power source such as a battery which can be changeable or rechargeable. Passive RFID tags are those that can collect energy from a nearby RFID reader.
It is not that these tags have been developed recently, this technology for storage of information had been used since 1950s, but certainly today’s RFID tags have advanced to the groundbreaking levels. The answer to the question where are RFID tags used is not a one liner. With the growth and escalation in every sector and industry, the scope, importance as well as application of RFID tags is expanding as well.
In every domain RFID tags have been widely used and proven to be highly cost effective to the organization. In public transports, RFID cards are utilized for access control. To keep track of cattle, other animals and their identification, RFID tags have been immensely used. In hospitals and healthcare institutions, to increase efficiency, allow easy identification of patients and access the history of patients, RFID tags are been used.
There are more answers to the question of where are RFID tags used. In school, college or public library, an inventory of thousands of books has to be kept and maintained along with its issuing and returning but with RFID tags, this is made easy. In a Japanese school, the administration has started chipping the belongings of the school children such as clothes, bags, bottles, ID cards etc. In many countries such as Malaysia, E-passports have been issued which gives the complete travel history of the person with respective dates, time and places. These are some of the various sectors where the used of RFID is extensive and has proved to be beneficial in generation profits and managing workflow.
