Smarter RFID

A new way of using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) funded by the EU’s Information Society Technologies (IST) group could improve safety in petrochemical, food, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.

RFID systems are generally passive, but the IST-funded Collaborative Business Items (CoBIs) project shifts a substantial part of business processes from resource-intensive back-end systems to systems embedded in the products themselves. With sensors, wireless communication and computing components attached, the goods or equipment become smart.  Chemical drums will warn operators when the storage limit in a warehouse is reached, if a leak occurs or if one is placed in the wrong location.