RFID gets sporty

Innovative companies across the globe are rushing into sports applications for RFID technology that look set to change the way things are done in the sporting world, says Contactless News.

Soccer referees can now settle disputes using data gathered by a system using various readers on the field to pick up tags on each of the players, golfers can locate missing golf balls with embedded RFID tags, and racing competitors can be tracked using RFID readers built into specially-designed mats over which the athletes must pass.

RFID has also moved into a wide variety of motor racing events in which an RFID tag is placed either on the motorcycle`s front fender or in the rider`s chest protector to provide accurate time recording. The system also enables real-time race tracking via the Internet.

A European trial using RFID tags embedded within medication packs has shown that monitoring patients` compliance with medication prescriptions can help them comply with their medication schedule, reports RFID Journal.

In the study, 20 pharmacies in the Netherlands dispensed a hypertension medication in RFID-enabled packages developed by Swedish RFID packaging specialist Cypak.

The study report says RFID offers the best technology with which to monitor and track a patient`s compliance with directions for taking medication, especially if it can be integrated into the medication`s packaging.

RFID and other emerging technologies have created a new wave of possibilities for self-service solutions such as faster payment options, reports Self Service World.

The report says RFID readers may someday be integrated with self-checkout, as well as assisted-service checkout, to read RFID tags on individual merchandise packages. The self-checkout process would deactivate the RFID security function, enabling customers to exit the store without triggering a security alarm.

The report concludes that as self-checkout technology evolves, retailers who wish to stay ahead of the competition will need to partner with innovative technology companies that have a thorough knowledge of the retail industry.