Three Exciting Applications of RFID Cards

Three Exciting Applications of RFID Cards

A man walks to a door, pulls out a card, presses it against a device near the door, and the door opens. The corridor leads into a basement where the man steals or destroys all the documents. This typical scene from a science fiction film or a James Bond movie demonstrates the use of proximity cards very well. Things are different in real life.

These cards are not sitting ducks. They are more secure and capable than what Hollywood portrays. Films rarely show proximity cards being used in libraries, transport, and attendance systems; where, these are the domains where these cards are used a lot.

Proximity cards are a type of smart cards. They store information and use radio frequencies to interact with card readers. Card readers are devices that process data transmited from proximity cards. Depending on what a reader has been programmed for, it can allow or deny access to a building and it can track books borrowed from library etc., The use of radio signals in these cards has earned them the technical name radio frequency identification (RFID) cards.

There are two kinds of RFID cards - passive and active. Passive cards operate on energy extracted from card readers. They have a small range; less than five centimetres. Active cards come equipped with a lithium-ion battery. They have a longer range - approximately 150 meters. A downside of active cards is that their battery runs out and renders them unusable after between five and seven years of use.

The technology used in these smart cards dates back to the Second World War. They have been in use as security access cards for a few decades now. New research is opening up more fields for their applications. Here is a summary of the three exciting areas where proximity cards are used:

(a) Identification cards

Modern RFID powered identification (ID) cards look similar to the cards of 10, 20 years ago. Superficial appearances are deceptive. The functioning of these cards bears little resemblance to the cards of a generation ago. These are more secure and capable. Students and members of the faculty can use them for access, purchases, payments, and several other tasks. So many colleges and universities use them as ID cards.

(b) Library loans

Libraries are showing an interest in RFID systems. Libraries hope to cut down costs by cutting down on their staff number and replacing them with a self-service system based on RFID cards. Researchers are looking into how much libraries can earn in savings. A few researchers claim proximity cards start to pay back between two and three years; while others maintain that libraries should not expect a return on their investments before six years.

(c ) Logistics

Supply chain managers are increasingly using RFID tags to better track their products. The use of these cards allows them to learn about their products' location with an accuracy of few meters; and at very low investments.

More uses

Smart cards are being considered as an alternative payment method in transport. Their use in security systems has a long history and it is going to stay like this for a very long time.