Innovate With Embedded RFID

RFID technology has grown beyond the mere tracking of inventory items and now has a far more pervasive presence where readers are embedded into products, giving them an intelligence that was unimaginable only a few years ago. In short, embedded RFID allows previously unanimated products to interact with the world. Embedded RFID applications impart intelligence into automobiles, consumer goods, medical equipment, mobile devices, store shelves and numerous other types of products.

In the not-too-distant past, the only use of RFID was inventory control. Tags were attached to products that had to be brought into range of a fixed reader. The effectiveness of this application spurred innovations and sparked the imagination. From ‘smart shelves' to self-configuring products, innovators are now creating the next generation of RFID-enabled, intelligent applications. Intelligent products mean fast, secure and accurate delivery systems. Remote data-gathering ability means data collection of precise and timely product information as it moves into consumer hands.

Embedded RFID refers to the activity whereby a manufacturer encloses a RFID reader seamlessly into a device. In many cases the reader is completely hidden from the end-user. While tags can also be embedded in products and creatures such as identity capsules in pets and livestock, Embedded RFID predominantly refers to the location and state of the reader, not the tag. Once embedded, RFID readers can then guide the product's interaction with tagged items in the outside world. In most cases, embedded RFID does not serve as the primary purpose of the product, rather as an enhancement. For this reason SkyeTek refers to embedded RFID as "RFID as a feature".

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