Imagine a world in which all the objects are able to exchange their location, history, and authenticity with a simple scan of a barcode. Think about having a medical patch on your skin that checks your vital signs and passes them through wireless communication. The vision has left the realm of science fiction.

It is now being made real by the combination of Nano-RFID technology and the printed electronic technology, which allows seamless tracking, real-time monitoring, and smarter interactions between people, products, and systems, and has made industries such as the healthcare industry a logistics one with precision and connectivity never before seen. People who want to use this technology for inventory can use the RFID warehouse tracking system.

Inkjet printed nanomaterial based flexible radio frequency identification ( RFID) tag sensors for the internet of nano things - RSC Advances (RSC  Publishing) DOI:10.1039/C7RA07191D

What are nano-RFID tags?

The next-generation RFID tags are made with nanomaterials such as graphene or silver nanoparticles to produce small, almost invisible antennas and chips. Their miniaturization enables them to be incorporated smoothly into products, packaging, or documents without changing the form or functionality of the product or data, leading to enhanced tracking and identification.

Check the basics of printed electronics

This radical technology transfers electronic parts, such as ink, onto flexible materials, plastic, paper, or cloth, with conductive or semi-conductive inks. It replaces the expensive silicon fabrication; it is fast, scalable, and a very cost-effective method of electronic creation.

Why do we need this modern technology?

a.      The existing tracking and sensing solutions are limited: barcodes require line-of-sight reading, and the traditional RFID tags are big or expensive to use on a mass basis.

b.      Nano-RFID and printed electronics address these problems, with near-zero costs at large scale, discrete and flexible printing on virtually any object, and simply unmatched scalability with roll-to-roll printing, similar to newspaper printing.

c.       The innovation allows for a smooth, large-scale utilization where inventory control, logistics, and tracking of daily products are transformed without losing efficiency, cost, and feasibility at a large scale.

Potential applications

The uses of this technology are enormous and revolutionary.

1.      In the supply chains and retail, all goods, including the fresh produce and high-end products, may be monitored in real-time, leading to a decrease in lost goods, a more efficient use of inventory, and authenticity.

2.      Smart bandages with nano-RFID used in healthcare could be used to scan wounds and provide staff with alerts remotely.

3.      Smarter packaging would identify when food went bad or when medication was not taken. RFID automation can be helpful for this reason.

4.      Even document security may be transformed; banknotes, passports, and certificates may have nano-tags built into them, which are invisible and may not be copied at all, and this is to bring about trust.

How RFID Can Be Found And Used In Your Everyday Life

Areas to improve

It is still a developing field, and significant progress is soon to be made. Studies are being undertaken to expand the size of nano-tag read radius, to produce eco-friendly, biodegradable materials to minimize e-waste, to improve data capacity as well as data security, and to ensure safe and effective management of an increasing amount of information.

Use of RFID in the future timeline

Be at the forefront of effective cybersecurity to prevent the loss of billions of connected devices and partner with the top researchers and manufacturers. In this intelligent infrastructure, the network will be integrated into the daily items, making the world smarter, safer, and more connected.