Hitachi has developed an electronic tag device, called a µ-Chip
(Mu-Chip), capable of announcing its presence from a distance
of about 30 cm via a radio packet of 128 bits. This by itself
isn’t a significant achievement. Other RFID (Radio Frequency
Identification) devices can transmit much larger amounts of
information a greater distance.
What is significant - is the size of the µ-Chip. It’s
small enough to attach to, or be imbedded in, practically anything.
It’s as large as the period at the end of this sentence
(0.4mm square) and thin enough to imbed into a sheet of paper.
The current cost per chip, is around $0.20, but like any new
technology, costs will plummet once the technology matures,
and demand levels increase.
Magic wands and smart medicine cabinets
With such a chip, you can “tag” anything with a
unique identity and read this at a distance. This would dramatically
increase the efficiency of logistical control. Counting and
cataloging any collection of items requires nothing more than
the waving of a ‘magic’ wand.
It allows for things like smart medicine cabinets. Imagine
a future where your medicine cabinet can tell you when a stored
prescription has expired? Or when it contains two medicines
that if taken together will cause adverse side effects? All
this is possible if medicine is tagged (on the container) and
entered by the pharmacy into a global network connected to
the electronics in your cabinet.
We're no longer talking about what might be, this isn't the
future anymore - it is in use today. Recently Benetton had
planned to tag all their clothing to take advantage of the
logistical savings. BUT... Several consumer groups took exception
to the idea that their clothing would be tagged in this way,
and that this would somehow be an invasion of privacy.
At the other end of the spectrum...
As you read this, there are plans in Europe to insert RFID
tags into all their paper currency. The intent of course,
is to make it more difficult to counterfeit money... but
it also makes it easier for the banks to count a stack
of bills very quickly, again by waving that magic wand.
As with any technology, there are always unintended consequences.
Once money, drugs, and credit cards are tagged, imagine
what you could learn by passing that same wand over a wallet
or handbag? How many credit cards does he have? What medications?
How much money is in that wallet? No point picking a pocket,
if there’s nothing of value to steal!
Of course, this is all nothing but a passive form of snooping;
taking it an additional step is relatively easy. The reason
for tagging items used for some form of identification is
obvious. The intent is to increase security in some fashion.
The notion is if I can query a tag I receive back a unique
identifier… but if anyone can query the tag, then everyone
can know that unique identifier … and creating a device
to duplicate it, is not, and cannot be made impossible, or
even unlikely.
If the bank machine only reads the tag... and you can duplicate
the 'signal' from an RFID tag... could you use this to confuse
an ATM machine in some manner?
We can twist all new technology, regardless of the original
intent, into less than desirable shapes. I find myself having
no problem if my clothing is tagged, but I rebel at the notion
that my 'cash' money can now signal to the 'authorities'
how I use it. Technology is always a double-edged sword and
the safe handle seems to be shrinking in size.
© 2003, Peter de Jager – Peter
is a speaker/consultant on issues relating to how we assimilate
the Future. Contact him at pdejager@technobility.com
© Copyright 2003. Galt Western Personnel
Ltd. Unless otherwise specified, you may reprint this article,
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