Group 3: Carolyn Gartner, Yong Jin Lee, Andrew Nguyen, Kevin Shaw, Daniel Wanis-Ruiz

Team Members

 * Carolyn Gartner
 * Yong Jin Lee
 * Andrew Nguyen
 * Kevin Shaw
 * Daniel Wanis-Ruiz

Team Members Contact Information

 * Carolyn Gartner - carolyn_gartner@hotmail.com
 * Yong Jin Lee - yjlee84@gmail.com
 * Andrew Nguyen - anguye@ucalgary.ca
 * Kevin Shaw - edandkellyshaw@shaw.ca
 * Daniel Wanis-Ruiz - dwanisruiz@yahoo.ca

Technology & Issue
Technology: RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)

Introduction
Radio Frequency Identification commonly referred to as RFID’s are means of tracking and identifying using radio waves. Each RFID varies in size and range, some RFID’s are as small as a grain of sand. Each RFID has 3 basic parts: an antenna or coil, transceiver with decoder and a transponder. These RFID’s can be either active, batter to initiate signal transmission, or passive, an external source is needed. Active RFID’s tend to be more expensive yet can have a range up to 300ft while passive must be placed within an electromagnetic field to work and only have a limited range of 20ft.

RFID technology was initiated in the 1940’s to remotely identify aircrafts for the military. RFID’s are still being used in the military but now are mainly used to improve efficiency of inventory (inventory counts, orders, shipments, etc). In less than 70 years RFID’s have become a part of society. RFID’s are all around us, if you have ever got your pet tagged, or paid for your gas using SpeedPass you have already used an RFID.

RFID technology is becoming a more viable alternative to the bar code. The benefits of using RFID’s instead of bar codes is that no line of sight is needed (RFID data can be read through the human body, clothing and non-metallic materials). By running the tag through a transceiver and transponder there is no need to have an employee waiting around to read bar codes. The biggest flaws that RFID’s currently have are; the fact that there is no universal standard for the product and the price differential. Bar codes are used throughout retail industry and have a set of standards, RFID’s come in numerous different sizes and signal strength. Before RFID’s become a universal norm in retail a universal standard must be implemented. The other current issue with the use of RFID’s in its primary focus is that RFID tags cost a lot more to create; bar codes are extremely cheap to make while RFID’s cost about $0.50 to make (this cost is on the fall).

Other than being used primarily in the retail industry to improve efficiency RFID’s are becoming more and more widespread breaking into the following uses:


 * •	Human Implementation
 * •	Animal Implementation
 * •	Airline Use
 * •	Transportation Use



Human Implementation
RFID Implementation in Humans: Imagine a world where you could walk into your favourite nightclub showing no ID, no credit card and still have the bartender bring you your favourite drink before you even walked to the counter. This world is already a possibility for those VIP’s in Barcelona and Rotterdam. Of course this isn’t the only use of RFID, or even the primary use of these rice grain sized chips, but is none the less a use. In October 2004 VeriChip, a subsidiary of Applied Digital, was given permission from the U.S. FDA to begin human implantation of the RFID’s.

Of course people across the world are not lining up to get these chips implanted in their fatty tissue around the triceps to live in a Big Brother like world. These chips offer numerous of benefits, including convenience, efficiency and could even save your life. Many still are not sold on the possibility of having the Government being able to monitor your entire life. If in theory all people begin to become implanted with these chips there could be more identity theft then ever before. So the question is, today would you get in line to have this little, possible life saving chip, imbedded into the top of your arm? Of course your going to need a little more information on the possible benefits and possible implications of this product:

Pros
Medical:
 * •	Imagine a scenario where you are hit by a car, walking home alone from a friends, knocked unconscious, with no ID and you are losing blood fast. The ambulance arrives just in time but they have no way to call and find out your blood type, your medical history, or even your parents name. What if they could just scan your arm with a small reader and all of this was available. In a matter of seconds they could begin be connecting you to your blood type and insuring that you are not going react to the penicillin. Sounds pretty good, with the implementation of this chip this is now a reality, over 2000 people including a Harvard Medical Professor have been injected with these chips. There is no actually medical records on this chip it only gives out a 16 digit number to a secure database with all your records there. Of course this for many is an issue in its own “well what could they have on that database, who can get on, etc?” According to people that have already been implanted with the chip you control what gets put on the database being only your blood type and a phone number or every medical appointment you have ever had it is entirely up to you.
 * •	Safe in MRI’s
 * •	No risk of allergic reaction
 * •	For people with devastating disease such as Alzheimer’s this little chip could save their life. Alzheimer’s severely effects your memory and if a patient is in critical need this little chip could save their life. All of their medical records could be retrieved without the risk of the patient not remembering

Efficiency:
 * •	Public transportation – no longer would you have to show a bus pass or student ID getting on the train with a small scanner the bus driver could scan your arm with out having to wait for you to fumble around in your wallet for change. If you forgot your wallet leaving to work or school it no longer would matter they could still prove you had paid your fee’s.
 * •	Night Life – Club’s in Barcelona and Rotterdam are already implementing this technology for a select group of VIP’s. This chip allows them ‘avoid long waits in lines and to even run tabs at the clubs, waiters scan the chips and a computer automatically draws the amount due from their checking accounts
 * •	Work Life – some firms are trying to convince employees that injecting this small chip would allow for less risk in the business place. In 2004, the Mexican Attorney General's office implanted 18 of its staff members with the Verichip to control access to a secure data room Management could ensure that confidential rooms and files are only accessed by the right people. It is a lot easier to give someone an ID card to get into a room then your right arm. This would allow for quicker and more efficient work because workers can walk, scan and work no lining up to sign in and prove that you have access to specific areas of the company
 * •	Identification for Army, Paramedics, Fire Fighters, Police, ETC – a tragic, yet realistic part of working in life or death situations like these members of society is the chance of death. After 9/11 trying to find who made it out safe and who didn’t make it out at all was an extremely difficult task. With the implementation of RFID’s unrecognized soldier’s arms could be scanned and confirm the death of them. The use of Dog Tags would be a thing of the past for finding fallen soldiers.

Other:


 * •	No GPS tracking capabilities
 * •	Chip lasts for a decade
 * •	Progressively becoming more advanced and smaller – Hitatchi recently created the smallest one yet (.05mmX.05mm)
 * •	Harder to replicate the SIN cards – Identity theft becomes less of a risk
 * •	Chip does not contain any specific information only an access number (16-Digitis) that links to a particular database
 * •	Affordable - $125 for the Chip

Cons

 * •	Invasion of privacy
 * •	Government has too much information about you
 * •	Threat to medical confidentiality
 * •	1%-10% of test animals received malignant tumours around the injection area
 * •	Only 2000 people have been injected now – without it being globally accepted no one is beginning the purchasing of scanners, if this isn’t a global effort it will not be worthwhile
 * •	Insecure – not encrypted
 * •	Safety concerns – kidnapping, murders, etc, to gain chip
 * •	Religious Concerns – ‘If the rapid diffusion of RFID technology isn’t stopped, according to the authors, we shall be “tormented with fire and brimstone in the sight of the holy angels” (Book of Revelation 14: 9-12)’

Retail

 * RFIDs are a convenient way to identify many different consumer products. Many companies have implemented the use of RFIDs to improve efficiency in their business. Radio frequency identification relies on a small chip implanted into a tag to hold information. This information can include such things as a serial number, price, or the purchase record of a certain product. A common use of RFIDs in retail is for inventory control. Using this identification allows inventory managers to track the date and time a case of food enters a store, and when it is put on the shelves. By maintaining inventory at optimal levels, managers are able to work more cost efficiently. Since RFIDs use a computer chip to store information, they are much more efficient than the traditional bar code. The company Gillette is now using “smart shelves”, where every product has an RFID attached to it. When an item is removed from the shelf, the information is immediately sent to inventory control. This lets workers know when shelves need re-stocking.



Pros

 * •    Each RFID-tagged product is able to have its own personal identification
 * •    RFIDs use radio waves, making scanning from farther distances much easier
 * •    Consumers and employees have product information available at the touch of a button
 * •    Easier to process consumer requests
 * •    Useful in pharmaceuticals


 * There is a clothing store in New York that is making use of RFIDs. Customer’s clothing choices are sent to a computer inside of the change room. The information on the computer allows customers to view all of the information regarding their clothing choice, including such things as suggested accessories. At the Baja Beach Club in Barcelona, Spain, patrons are able to pay for their drinks by being implanted with an RFID. Employees will immediately be able to read the persons credit balance, and all of their information. This removes the need for credit cards and Ids.

Cons

 * The issues associated with RFIDs do not come from the technology itself, but the way in which they are used.


 * •   Expensive to use in consumer products
 * •   RFID tags can stay on a purchased product when brought into a person’s home.
 * •   Privacy issues
 * •   Information can be related to personal information, such as credit card numbers.
 * •   Determining regulations
 * •   This identification can lead to consumer profiling, linking purchased products to a certain consumer.


 * Budget Rent A Car has gotten media attention for using RFIDs in their rental cars. Using this identification, employees can track if reckless driving had happened. This resulted in a fine to the renter when the car had been returned. Using RFIDs can allow retail store managers to see which area of their store is most heavily browsed, tracking customer movements throughout the store. RFID tagging in all consumer products is expected to be present in the next five to ten years.

Animals

 * RFIDs in animals is probably the first instance in which the average person is aware of RFIDs, though they may have experienced them in one of their other applications without knowing. In pets the RFID chips are usually implanted in the back of the neck for dogs and cats, and in the chest muscles for birds. Otherwise for most all other creatures they are pierced on as ear tags. So far these IDs are used primarily for recovering lost pets, animal research, and livestock ranching.


 * RFIDs allow efficient recovery of pets if they are ever lost and found by animal control. As a bonus, when a pet can be quickly matched to its owner, the shelter also avoids the expense of housing, feeding, and providing medical care for the pet. RFIDs are becoming increasingly standard at shelters with many requiring all stray animals to receive a microchip, and providing the service as part of the adoption package.


 * Livestock use RFIDs in much the same way, insuring that standards are met in the raising, breeding and slaughter of cattle. Animal researchers use the IDs to track the movements of endangered species and found out about their natural behavior in the wild.

Pros

 * •Faster pet retrievals.
 * •Shelter upkeep costs are reduced.
 * •Livestock quality control.
 * •Research and knowledge possibilities.

Cons

 * •Potential livestock monopolies
 * •Possibility of infections or tumors from implantation.
 * •Animal activists against chipping.



Airlines and Passports



 * Although RFIDs have been widely implemented in many different markets,the airline industry and identity identification processes have just recently adopted the implementation of these devices.
 * United Airlines along with Star Alliance have been testing using RFIDs to track customer luggage as well as hastening the check in times by passengers.By inserting these RFIDs into luggage or into uploading luggage devices, these airlines hope to minimize the amount of lost luggage and use RFID readers to reduce check in times. By August 14th the department of homeland security started issuing e-passports as the federal government of the United States passed down legislation that required passports be embedded with RFIDs, striking much argument within the society. This passport contains a photograph and signature that acts as biometric identifier and makes it impossible to forge. Although this passport might be a secure measure for personal information, it also has quite a bit of information stored on a database is sync with the code on the chip.



Pros

 * •    By having RFIDs in your baggage, your check in time can be reduced to more than 50% and     your luggage can be tracked to wherever it goes just in case they are sent to the wrong part of the world.
 * •This new phase is geared towards the satisfaction of the customer
 * •Biometrics embedded in the electronic passport are highly secure and can reassure the passenger or traveler that the personal information enclosed is safe.
 * •CEO's can keep track of their airplanes and large assets.

Cons

 * •Airlines can track where, not only your luggage are, but where you are as well.
 * •If criminal can access your information through either eavesdropping or skimming, all your identification is duplicated and therefore can be used for identification theft, banking and credit card information, etc...
 * •Your privacy is breached considering the airlines and the federal government know many things about you.

Public Transportation

 * RFID tags are used as payment method for public transportation systems in major cities throughout Europe, in North America and in Asia. Called ‘contactless smart-cards’, RFID tag implemented cards allows public transportation users to pay without having to physically swipe or scan their transit card on a card-reader. Public transportation users only have to move their transit card near a magnetic card reader. The card doesn’t even have to be taken out of wallet or purse, and a wallet or a purse can be ‘swiped’ with the transit card inside.


 * Transit cards come in two forms: prepaid transit card and credit transit card. Prepaid cards can only be used when sufficient funds are available in the card. Prepaid cards can be recharged as necessary at designated recharge stations. Credit transit cards are generally paired with a credit account. Such transit cards can be used as long as the credit account does not exceed its limit.


 * As a transit user boards a bus or subway, a magnetic RFID reader conveniently scans RFID tag in transit card and charges the card. The RFID reader also records the location and the direction of travel when the card was scanned. This adds further convenience to the transit user, as he/she can transfer to another bus or train easily at lower cost with RFID card keeping track of the travel.






 * •	RFID implemented into public transportation payment cards in major cities around the world.
 * •	2 forms of transit cards:
 * •	Prepaid transit card
 * •    Can be charged up at various locations
 * •	Credit transit card
 * •	Paired with a credit account


 * •	A microchip in RFID contains the amount of money left in the transit card
 * •	Once a transit card comes within vicinity of a magnetic RFID reader, it gets automatically charged for transit fee
 * •	Magnetic RFID reader displays amount charged and amount left in the scanned transit card

Pros

 * •	Quick and convenient: RFID implemented transit cards do not have to be taken out of wallet/purse to be shown/scanned
 * •	Allows easy transfer between busses and trains.

Cons

 * •	RFID implemented transit cards are more expensive than non-RFID implemented cards.
 * •	RFID implemented transit cards may be hacked into illegally to increase the amount of fund a card has.

Argument

 * Many people argue that this little chip causes to many privacy and health concerns. Yet it is clearly evident that these chips pose for huge benefits to society. There are health concerns when being implanted, yet the health benefits greatly weigh out the small unlikely hood of developing cancer.


 * As a group we have decided that through thorough investigation that when this technology starts becoming a universal norm we would gladly get chipped because this small chip could change our life for the better