Researchers explore nano RFID

Rice University researchers working with the Sunchon National University in Korea have developed printable nano radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, reports Sify News.

The RFID nano transmitter embedded in retail goods gets scanned as the shopper leaves a store and immediately charges the customer's account without the customer having to queue at a checkout.

The researchers are now working on 16-bit tags that would hold a more information and be printable on paper.

The global RFID market is expected to reach $5.35 billion this year, says Interconnection World.

According a forecast released by ABI Research, the RFID outlook is positive for steady growth through the next five years despite the economic climate.

"We expect the overall RFID market to exceed $8.25 billion in 2014, or approximately $7.46 billion with automobile immobilisation excluded," says ABI Research practice director, Michael Liard. "That would represent a 14% compound annual growth rate over the next five years.”

GAO has rolled out a long-range, active RFID tag series featuring an LED for visual recognition and an internal sensor for temperature monitoring, states RFID News.

The tag has an expandable memory of 32MB for data storage, identification, tracking and location, all in real-time.

Up to 2 000 tags can be identified simultaneously at high speeds and over long distances.