State-of-the-Art Product Identification System for Concrete Structures.

RFID

Radio Frequency Identification is a data collection technology that uses electronic tags for storing data. The tag is made up of an RFID chip attached to an antenna. Passive tags have no power source but use the electromagnetic waves from the reader to energize the chip and transmit back data.

Like bar codes, RFID tags identify items. However, unlike bar codes, which must be in close proximity and line of sight to the scanner for reading, RFID tags do not require line of sight and can be embedded within an item.

RFID tags hold more data than bar codes, but a major differentiator is the unique serial number in the RFID’s Electronic Product Code (EPC) because it allows tracking of individual items. While a UPC bar code might identify a category of product like a 12” manhole connector, an EPC RFID tag can identify a specific, individual connector.