Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
Keeping tabs on the move
Shipping freight around the world? Borrowing a library book? Swiping your identification badge at the office? Driving on a highway in Australia, France or Chile with an E-toll? Opening your car with a long-range access control? Keeping track of your pet? RFID or not to RFID?
A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system tracks moving objects (from freight containers to pets) by enabling data to be transmitted by a mobile device or tag, which is read by an RFID reader and processed according to the needs of a particular application. The transmitted data may provide identification or location information or specifics about the tagged product, like price, colour or date of purchase.
ISO has published a number of standards, including for the RFID of animals (ISO 11784), and is currently developing supply-chain applications of RFID for freight containers (ISO/DIS 17363), returnable transport (ISO/DIS 17364), transport units (ISO/DIS 17365), and product packaging (ISO/DIS 17366), product tagging (ISO/DIS 17367).
In addition, ISO has published with the International Electrotechnical Commission a standard for identification cards (ISO/IEC 14443-2) and one for item management (ISO/IEC 15961:2004), and other RFID standards continue to be developed.
Traceability of animals through electronic identification
The ravages of livestock disease and exposés of the illicit trade in domestic animals have highlighted the advantages of identification and traceability. However, with four billion livestock and 200 million pets in the world, the size of the potential problems is enormous.
ISO 11784, Radio frequency identification of animals – Code structure, facilitates one solution: that of electronic identification.
Electronic transponders containing a unique "life number" are injected painlessly into animals at an early stage. From that moment on, the animal can be identified automatically from a distance using radio frequency signals to interrogate and respond. ISO 11784 details structure of the 64-bit code for electronic animal identification.