Third Generation RFID and the expanding Edge of the Enterprise  |  March 3, 2009  

For a while, I've been saying that if you're going to have computation and communications capabilities associated with a product or pallet, why wouldn't you do much more than what we think of as RFID today... RFID provides just identity and location.

With the advent of third generation RFID capabilities, we're seeing much more functionality coming into the market. These new devices have Ubiquitous Sensor Networks (USN). I'd also expect to see the use of more sensors and sensing as well, becoming Motes like that in the Great Duck Island data gathering project. In IEEE Computer, they also talk about how this next generation of RFID:

"...works with active tags. They gather information and then send it from tag to tag over a mesh network until it reaches the location at which the data will be processed."

There are some who fear this, and we thought the current US use of imbedding RFID in passports and the lack of sophistication were a concern. There is much more that could be done with the technology, but we'll need to understand the security implications as well.

I was talking with Ed about his project at Mazdar, and mentioned how people have started imbedding RFID devices in their arm... How could the city use this technology to add convenience and security for the people who live there? He thought that was too intrusive and we got into a Minority Report like discussion. People have been doing similar things for a while. On the other hand, what would it mean to never have to carry keys or use a password to log into a computer - where any computer can have your interface or any interface can have access to some (appropriate) level of your personal information. How much will people give up for convenience? How much of what we could gather can we actually use?

Charlie Bess
EDS' Next Big Thing Blog