Video shown above is one of IBM’s commercials. A guy, who initially looked like shoplifter, took whatever he wanted in a supermarket and just walk out without queuing on the checkout line to make payment. According to IBM, This is how we going to shop in future time. Customers do not have to queue up on check out line to pay. The supermarket/store system automatically scans the items taken including customers information (for payment) just as the customers walk out of the store. This is possible due to adoption of technology called Radio-frequency identification (RFID). This technology has been existed since 60 years ago (during word war II). However, only in the last decade, people started to use it commercially.
As according to Wikipedia, RFID is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. An RFID tag is an object that can be attached to a product, animal, or person for the purpose of identification using radiowaves. The picture below shows how RFID tag looks like.
Regardless of its usefulness, this technology is likely to be misused. Imagine that one day RFID technology is so advanced that it can tracks any tag on earth. A shoe manufacturer may simply attach RFID tag in the hidden area of your shoe, and use it to track you down. Application of RFID technology to track down human may be a serious privacy violation.
IBM has patented human-tracking system called "Identification and Tracking of Persons Using RFID-tagged Items". The following paragraph is the abstract taken from the patent application.
"A method and system for identifying and tracking persons using RFID-tagged items carried on the persons. Previous purchase records for each person who shops at a retail store are collected by POS terminals and stored in a transaction database. When a person carrying or wearing items having RFID tags enters the store or other designated area, a RFID tag scanner located therein scans the RFID tags on that person and reads the RFID tag information. The RFID tag information collected from the person is correlated with transaction records stored in the transaction database according to known correlation algorithms. Based on the results of the correlation, the exact identity of the person or certain characteristics about the person can be determined. This information is used to monitor the movement of the person through the store or other areas."
References
- http://www.hightechaid.com/tech/rfid/rfid_technology.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFID#History_of_RFID_tags
- http://www.spychips.com/documents/ATT00075.pdf
- http://www.rfidconsultation.eu/docs/ficheiros/InternetofThings_summary.pdf
- http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/02/spychips.html
- http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,60898,00.html
5 comments:
cool....cant wait to shop like that.....
Do you think Nottigham's library uses this?
This is pretty cool :-P
RFID is undoubtedly an intelligent technology, however, the extent to its practical use is debatable. I personally wont allow myself being tracked at all time, but that would be self-defeating in the sense that, if tracking IS the function(for e.g. tracking a potential criminal). there'll never be an answer to the moral implications of RFID but i'd rather be in control of technology than BEING CONTROLLED. Brilliant post btw. :)
I like the idea of shopping without hassle (; This concept would really be helpful in time-consuming sectors but using it as a compulsery tool to track every person in this world is pretty absurd. That's like being controlled in a way. Like the idea of putting chips into dogs so that we could track them. I mean, I can't even accept that and yet, this is like trapping ourself and allowing ourselves to be controlled and watched by some one all the time. Crazy. What's the use of living if you're like some pet being watched and traced all the time. Maybe implimentation during trips into the jungle would be useful. But how much does it actually cost to impliment something like the one in the market clip?
interesting posts in your blog. Straight to the point and not draggy. and the clips and graphics are a plus point. ;) Keep it up.
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