Ever worry about losing something valuable to you? Of course we all do. Now what if there was a way you could instantaneously track down whatever was lost or stolen? Welcome to the world of RFID –Radio Frequency Identification- the future of theft prevention. RFID is the latest by product in the ever evolving quest to shrink computer chips with tiny transponders that don’t require batteries and can be shrunk down to a very small size. The caveat is that unless you are very wealthy and well connected you probably won’t be able to access the technology. On the other hand, it is cost effective for large corporations that spend billions on security and still lose billions to theft and interestingly a large portion of theft from businesses is by employees.
Most of us have become familiar with RFID in toll passes and anti-theft devices for library books, cd/dvd tags but there is a new kid on the block. Now introducing a cutting edge company: http://www.noxdefense.com/ According to http://rfidwizards.com one of the more covert technologies they employ is ID-Dust, serialized dust particles that can be interrogated like a RFID tag. The NOX team can coat a person or object with it to track movement. ID-Dust can show if an item was handled or it can even be sprinkled on the floor. People unknowingly pick up the ID-Dust on their shoes as they travel through a dusted area. The software combines the video surveillance and RFID information to create an association between the ID-Dust and a person. The ID-Dust allows the person’s movement to be tracked around a facility without the person ever knowing he or she is being tracked. While a criminal can easily defeat the motion sensors, the ID-Dust provides covert security with instant alerts when someone enters an area, plus a complete history of exactly where each person traveled and when. A tag read in a particular location automatically triggers video recording and sends an instant alert to the security personnel’s mobile devices. Think video or images popping up on your cell phone.
While this is amazing can you imagine what the future holds when this technology is welded with say nanotechnology. Think molecular robot defense systems. Maybe I-Robot isn’t so far fetched after all.