[LINK] RFID criticism

[Glen Turner]

rchirgwin at ozemail.com.au wrote:
>
> Out in the noisy street, 20 metres is pure fantasy, "inevitable improvements in technology" notwithstanding.

How do you figure?  The article says the range is 1m for some
tags and 3-4m for others.

I can easily overcome street noise using a directional antenna,
and all I need to do is to build an antenna with has greater
gain than the store's antenna (the gain of which is limited by
physical issues -- you're unlikely to see a waveguide at the end
of the cash register).

The greatest problem is a free-space view of the RFID item.
That depends upon the store layout, etc.

If RFID gets supermarket deployment then I reckon that I could
put a parabolic antenna/waveguide on the footpath outside the
Woolies in Rundle Mall and read each item as it passes through
the supermarket's scanner (5-10m away).  Imagine that with
a camera pointing at the cash register, a sign saying "what
this person is buying", and a big screen with a description of
the item and the person's image.

It would make a great Fringe Festival event.  It would be
worthwhile doing just to watch the state government and
Woolies fumble about for a law to use to shut the thing
down.  Having sucessfully offended people with my last
Fringe work, I'd like to thank you for an even better idea
for a follow-up :-)

Regards,
Glen

-- 
  Glen Turner         Tel: (08) 8303 3936 or +61 8 8303 3936
  Australia's Academic & Research Network  www.aarnet.edu.au