Talking technology - small things, big changes

We live and work in a world where science fiction is increasingly becoming science fact, and the next big ‘step change’ is just around the corner. Computers and the internet are well on their way to becoming ubiquitous, with tiny computers embedded into everyday items and constantly talking to each other.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) began life as a replacement for bar codes in retailing and warehousing, but these tiny wireless transmitters are being used to tag and uniquely identify an ever-increasing array of items. But because companies can use RFID to automatically track objects, remotely perform actions on them, and trigger events, the range of networked devices is growing daily. Anti-counterfeiting, pharmaceuticals traceability, and food manufacturing are just a few of the areas now using the system, and RFID applications now range from contactless smart cards to a system that monitors the health of groves of redwood trees. And these are just the tip of the iceberg.

Because objects tagged with an RFID chip each have a unique digital identity, which can be linked to any kind of online data, RFID is a vital connection between the physical and digital worlds. With increased computing intelligence and connectivity capabilities, discrete everyday objects in the real world are becoming ‘smart’ items - objects that can sense, communicate, and interact with information systems and other smart items, as active participants in information processes. So it is only a matter of time before the ‘internet of things’ replaces today’s internet of people and data.

Everyday items from TVs to toasters will eventually have in‑built computing power and wireless connectivity which will allow them to communicate and share information - and with increasing miniaturisation, almost everything, right down to a grain of dust, can potentially become a dynamic and interactive computer. Future devices could range from packaging that can tell if the product inside has become too hot or too cold, to a drinks dispenser that knows how you like your coffee or tea.
 
Slowly but surely, we are moving towards a world where we all live and work in a ‘digital bubble’, where the technology and services we use follow us around as we move: from the workplace to the home, the gym to the supermarket, and from the office to a client’s premises. The necessary technologies already exist. What’s missing are the universal agreements, standards, and controls that businesses and countries need to agree before all wireless networked devices can become universally ‘connected’ and interactive.

Technology vendors will need to address standardisation issues, not just talk about them; different supply chains and countries will have to work towards universally agreed and recognised standards; and organisations such as the International Standards Organisation and EPCglobal will need to work together more effectively. Until recently there was little sign of any of these things happening, but in February 2008, three standards bodies joined forces to coordinate the global dialogue on RFID-related standards.

As part of a European Union-funded project called the GRIFS (or the Global RFID Interoperability Forum for Standards), the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), GS1, and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) will work together for two years, in cooperation with other standard setters from around the world, to move toward a global set of RFID standards. So the ‘internet of things’ could be just around the corner.