Here we go with the acronyms again. Do you know what RFID is? Radio Frequency Identification can be thought of as bar code information that is scanned or received over the air instead of visibly off printed material. Where a bar code is presented to you by way of a printed mark on a package or label, RFID information is carried by a small device, usually a chip.
If you’re interested, you can find a more detailed definition here.
You may not be familiar with what this technology is, or what it’s called but you probably already use it in many parts of your everyday life.
You may already be an RFID Power User if:
- You have a transponder in your car for the toll roads you use
- You use a key card at work that you only have to touch on a pad
- You have one of those fancy new credit cards that let you just tap a touch pad at your favorite fast food place (go on! admit it! somebody is still eating at those places!)
- You’ve had your pet chipped
Well, you get the idea. With the four previous examples in mind, you can probably think of several other ways you are already using RFID.
This short video clip can also help you understand why EAM comes into the RFID picture, and what’s great about this clip explaining this technology is that they’ve decided to go low-tech with their teaching aids; paper cut-outs!
Now you know why you’ll be hearing from EAM a lot more in the future as RFID use expands. Engineered Automation’s Delta Applicators are now being used in RFID projects. There was a time when major manufacturers of CD’s, batteries, cameras, and later DVD’s were applying EAS (anti-theft tags) manually and then the folks at EAM developed machinery specifically designed to apply them at high volumes. We’re sure you think fondly of those anti-theft tags as the ones that sometimes set off alarms at Wal-Mart and other major retailers. Yep! Those are EAM’s machines putting those tags in your merchandise. You can see a clip here:
Or read more about those machines here.
But hey! The EAM guys are just doing their jobs! And quite well!
The point is that, as you saw in the earlier clip, RFID tags are working their way through the distribution chains and more of them will be used at “Item Level” or, in other words, one unique tag on each of a particular item on the shelf.
EAM has already completed several projects for item-level RFID tag application. You can see one here:
So you should definitely keep an eye on EAM as they delve deeper and deeper into the wild-and-wonderful-world of RFID!
Here’s how to stay informed:
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And, if that hasn’t kept you busy enough, here’s another assignment; if you’ve encountered interesting uses for RFID technology you think the folks at EAM might not have heard about, Contact Us and let us know and we’ll make sure your information gets posted.
Machine Vision Integrators