RFID is becoming more and more a part of our everyday lives,from supermarkets to libraries,for security purposes and leisure purposes. Intrepid Security have installed Sentrypoint systems using RFID to monitor security guard tours, an RFID tag is carried by each guard and as they pass each checkpoint the tag is registered by a reader and the data sent back to a central monitoring computer. From this data it can be checked that predetermined tours are carried out correctly and in real time the position of a guard can be ascertained quickly and easily, even on the largest of sites.

Some of our partners in Europe have been involved in other varied and interesting applications for this exciting branch of modern technology.

In the Netherlands the Den Haag football stadium has been equipped with an RFID system for crowd management by “Happy Crowd Control”. Entrance by supporters through the Turnstiles are controlled using a combination of separate technologies. Smartcard technology with long range RFID readers at the turnstile is combined with biometric face recognition to ensure that ticket holders are who they purport to be,and to confirm that they are not banned or undesirable.

In the Benelux countries RFID is used to identify and track dairy quality control sampling vials. Each animal is ear tagged with a unique RFID tag to allow fast identification at the milking parlour and to allow monitoring of milk yield and quality from each individual animal.

An RFID tag attached to each sample stores all the relevant farm and animal data and this can be quickly read using a small,portable PDA style RFID reader reducing errors and the need for manual data entry and allowing for fast tracking and identification of each milk sample..

RFID is also being used to help regulate the complex process of administering drugs to patients receiving chemotherapy where the timing and size of dosage is absolutely critical.

With these types of drugs there is a high incidence of self contamination when filling the automatic administering drug pump. Using RFID tags it is possible automate this process and have it all performed by machines. The RFID tag attached to the automatic pump and to the drug container also reduce significantly the possibility of an incorrect dose or the patient receiving the wrong drug due to human error.