Radio frequency identification (RFID) works on the principle of attaching tags, or transponders, to objects, animals or human beings. The tags emit radio frequency messages containing identification information that can be read by a specialized RFID reader, allowing the tagged items to be identified and tracked.
Origin
RFID technology was first used by the United Kingdom during World War II as a method of identifying "friendly" aircraft. Under the auspices of Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt -- the inventor of radar -- a transmitter was installed on each British plane and, when it received a radar signal from the ground, transmitted an identification signal. This is the basic concept behind RFID technology.
1950s & 1960s
Research into RFID technology continued throughout the 1950s and 1960s, leading to the appearance of the first commercial RFID devices, electronic article surveillance tags, used to prevent shoplifting. These tags are still used in packaging and operate by means of a single binary digit, or "bit", which can be switched on or off. If someone pays for an item, the bit is switched off, allowing the item to pass through an RFID reader at the exit without sounding the alarm.
1970s
In the 1970s, the Los Alamos National Laboratory developed RFID systems for tracking nuclear materials and livestock. Later, smaller, low-frequency transponders -- which could be encapsulated in glass and injected subcutaneously -- were developed. The first RFID patents were awarded to the American inventors Mario W. Cardullo and Charles Walton in 1973. Walton developed a passive RFID transponder -- a transponder that wakes up and reflects a signal -- used to unlock a door without a key.
1999 & Beyond
The Auto-ID Center -- a non-profit collaboration between private companies and academia -- was established in 1999 and developed the Electronic Product Code (EPC) numbering system and a network architecture for tracking RFID tags globally. A second-generation EPC standard emerged in 2004, leading to the broader adoption of RFID technology by the U.S. Department of Defense and major retailers. Wal-Mart, for example, announced in 2005 that it required its top 100 suppliers to supply RFID-enabled shipments.
Tags: RFID technology, 1950s 1960s, RFID reader