Radio Frequency IdentificationTechnology in Digital Government

Abstract

Following technical strides in radio and radar in the 1930s and 1940s, the 1950s were a period of exploration for radio frequency identity (RFID) technology as shown by the landmark development of the long-range transponder systems for the “identification, friend or foe” for aircraft. Commercial use of RFID appeared in the 1960s, such as electronic article surveillance systems in retail stores to prevent theft. The 1970s were characterized by developmental work resulting in applications for animal tracking, vehicle tracking, and factory automation. RFID technology exploded during the 1980s in the areas of transportation and, to a lesser extent, personnel access and animals. Wider deployment of RFID tags for automated toll collection happened in the 1990s. Also, there was growing interest of RFID for logistics and having it work along side with bar codes. In the beginning of the 21st century, the application of RFID technology has been ubiquitous and now it is practically part of everyday life (Landt, 2001).