Everything You Need to Know About RFID Asset Tracking

From the Medical Industry to Fashion Industry from tracking children to creating bills all these types of activities are done with RFID Technology. No wonder, RFID is successful in all industries and taking the business world by storm!

Imagine that you are in a supermarket & loved a few clothes, so you tend to buy them and now you are standing in a queue wasting your time & waiting for your turn.  Boring right? What if we told you that you don't have to wait in the queue for your turn?

What if we say that all you have to do is go through a scanner and the bill amount will be deducted from your account for the product. Yes, it is possible with the help of RFID asset management.  Amazon go is doing it.

Later, in this blog, we will give you 5 industries examples in which RFID technology is working & how RFID works in those industries.

RFID has been around for a long time it has been developed on a regular basis and it is cost-effective and works efficiently and quickly. Other companies which have not used RFID now are also comprehending RFID abilities. So, let us drill RFID in detail.

What is RFID?

The full form of RFID is Radio Frequency Identification. The technology of RFID is almost the same as Barcode scanner however, the main difference between them is RFID work faster compared to Barcode scanner.

The second difference is you must scan a product or object via a barcode scanner to track the information, on the other hand, RFID uses radio waves to track the product information.

According to Markets and Markets,  “The global RFID market is estimated to be USD 10.7 billion in 2021 and projected to reach USD 17.4 billion by 2026; at a CAGR of 10.2%”

What Are the Components of RFID? 

RFID mainly includes 3 components as Reader, Antenna & Transponder (also known as a tag). Let us discuss all the components one by one!

Do you know that RFID Tag is originated by Soviet Spy!

An RFID reader can be categorized into two parts:

1. Mobile RFID - When a mobile interacts with RFID technology in order to get the information. How does it work? This technology enables mobile devices with embedded micro RFID readers to read RFID tags.  

2. Fixed RFID - As the name suggests fixed RFID are placed in stationary points such as Tollbooth, Entry & exit points of Mall.  

3. Antena - An RFID antenna comprises a curl with at least one winding and a coordinating system. It emanates the electromagnetic waves created by the reader and gets the RF signals from the transponder.

An RFID framework can be planned with the goal that the electromagnetic field is always generated by a sensor.  

4. Transponders - These transponders are making RFID innovation user-friendly and accurate. These transponders are more affordable to create, and they can be created small enough to fit on any item.

There are four types of tags Active, semi-active, semi-passive, and passive RFID tags.  Active & semi-active transponders work on a battery basis. Since their frequency is 900 to 1000 MHz approx. so they can be readable 30 meters or above.

Mostly they are used on costly items. On the other hand, passive tags don't have a power source and it can read 6 meters and they are economical compared to other tags.

Origin of RFID

In 1920, Radar technology was there, and it was merged with Radio-frequency. Later during World War 2, Britain developed a method to distinguish enemy aircraft with an IFF transponder (similar technology to RFID).

There were several technologies used at that time and most of them were very similar to RFID. Around 1970 many institutions, government organizations were working on RFID Technology in order to track vehicles, animals & electronic toll collection, it was the actual beginning of RFID.

In 1980, RFID Tracking is implemented successfully & it was used widely by companies on the international level. However, the cost was high at that time & it was decreased in the late '90s.

5 Scenarios of How RFID Works

1. RFID on Toll System

This toll system technology has been used by several countries. It makes a direct payment with the moving vehicle. It empowers the client to make payment of toll directly from the account which is connected to the RFID tag.

With the usage of the new RFID in toll plazas, the benefit of RFID tracking is assumed that it will diminish pollution of the city as well as the traffic jam remarkably.

Another benefit would be, the issue of blockage at toll courts over the city is going to be settled forever.  

Also Read: 7 Major Sectors Using RFID Technology for Asset Management

2. RFID in Fashion Industry

You must be wondering how it would work in the fashion industry? Tackling the counterfeit problem was the biggest problem! RFID assists in overcoming that problem and the second advantage are tagging your clothes give you exact information about all clothes! You will know when your clothes will be out of stock so you can plan according to that.

3. RFID in Health Industry

When it's a matter of life and death no delay should be done. Unfortunately, it happens due to bad supply management of stock. Overstock & understock of supplies is one of the major problems in hospitals.

With RFID tracking tags you can track the medicine or other stock of availability which provides the solution for this problem.

4. RFID for Tracking Child

It's an interesting one! At the starting of this year, Kumbh ka Mela was organized in Prayagraj, Allahabad. It was a 55-day event, where more than 10 million people were gathered to celebrate. Too much crowd, right?

When a massive congregation is there, chances are that children can get lost especially small children. Also, we would like to mention that Kumbh ka Mela has a history of missing children.

For this same cause, Uttar Pardesh Police and Vodafone teamed up & 40,000 RFID tags were used to keep information on tracking small children. RFID technology is used to get real-time and accurate tracking.

5. RFID in Train System

Trains stop at certain & exact positions because of safety doors & for the convenience of travelers. RFID system ensures the particular & reliable spot of trains over optical sensors.

Indian Railway has been upgraded its Maintenance system with reduced asset downtime. Also, real-time monitoring of the assets and risk of employee safety is also decreased.

Conclusion

If you are into running a business and you are not using RFID Technology, you are missing something huge. If you are using it then you know how efficiently it works. It is cost-effective, gives real-time information, accurate information of inventory. This RFID technology can be used in any industry.

For best results, RFID technology is used with asset management software. It can be very beneficial for business, and they are not only helpful in asset tracking and provide valuable data of assets that assist in making crucial business decisions.

Also Read: Barcode vs QR Code vs RFID vs NFC vs BLE vs GPS: Which One Is Better?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the advantages of RFID technology?‍

RFID readers do not need tags to be scanned in a straight line. Moreover, along with that, it can scan multiple RFID tags. As a result of, increased efficiency of humans, the chances of error are reduced. It quickly fetches information from the database whenever the RFID tag is scanned.

It is helpful in keeping track of each asset. It is helpful in avoiding theft and misplacement of assets. These are a few of the advantages of RFID technology.

2. Is RFID technology expensive?‍

Passive RFID technology is expensive compared to the Barcode technology, but it is not expensive compared to NFC (Near field communication), BLE (Bluetooth low energy), GPS (Global position system), IoT (Internet of things), etc.

3. What are the disadvantages of RFID technology?‍

The signal can be disturbed with metal, liquid and at that, it will be of no use. Sometimes they are not accurate due to the signal issue. It is expensive compared to barcode tags. RFID technology implementation can be time-consuming and difficult.

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