Delta Air Plans RFID Bag-Tag Test
from the they're-everywhere dept
With all the hype recently about Wal-Mart adopting RFID tags for logistics purposes in their stores, there are still plenty of other interesting uses for RFID. Delta is now starting a test using RFID tags to track luggage. They point out that this should help track bags for security purposes, but I imagine it's also useful for making sure bags don't get lost. Instead of having to individually scan each barcode with a reader (or have a human look at the destination), wouldn't it be better if they could just roll a cart past an RFID reader, which tells them if any bag is heading in the wrong direction? No matter what, it appears that RFID tags are really starting to catch on. While these initial uses are in backend logistical applications, I'm sure it won't be long before people start including them for more creative purposes.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Raise your hand...
Leave you hand up if you've shown up at the airport with one of those tags still attached to your luggage.
Keep your hand up if you've ever ripped the old tag off at the last second and stuffed it down inside the outside pocket of a suitbag or some other piece of luggage because there wasn't a trashcan nearby.
Now imagine what would happen if those tags were RFID-enabled and when someone tried to take a cart full out to the plane an alarm sounded because there was an RFID tag for the wrong destination somewhere in the pile.
Now imagine that you're trying to leave Dallas, TX in the middle of August sitting next to a 450 pound sweaty man and you're stuck on the runway for 45 minutes while the baggage handlers dig through a cart full of luggage trying to find the bag that's setting off the alarm.
If they can find some way to put an expiration date in the tag so that after X number of hours it is no longer valid then it might be possible, but if they don't... :-(
[ link to this | view in chronology ]