PREFACE
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a contactless, usually short distance, wireless data transmission and reception technique for identification of items, asset tracking, surveillance, access control, electronic ticketing, car immobilizers, toll collection, and many other emerging applications. With the recent advent and accelerated development of RFID technologies, and strong patronization by giant retail chains and their suppliers such as Wal-Mart, Kmart, and the US Department of Defense, the application areas have also been increasing from simple identification and security to the retail markets, military, original part manufacturing, medicine, animal tagging, and space applications. The reliable prediction of IDTechEX was for an RFID market value of $5.56 billion in 2009. This prediction relates to the total sales of RFID tags, readers, and related software. The applications of RFID are also increasing with the developments of new technologies. Again referring to the IDTechEX prediction, more than 60% development will encompass low-cost, fully printable chipless RFID tags. The current bottleneck for implementation of RFID system in a new business and its return on investment is the cost of tags.
Our industry partner, FE Technologies Pty Ltd., based in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, has been marketing their Smart Library® RFID system in Australia and overseas. In February 2009, FE Technologies demonstrated their automated library database management system to a ...
