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.
Comments on “Delta Air Plans RFID Bag-Tag Test”
Raise your hand...
Raise your hand if you have a suitcase at home that still has a paper tag attached to the handle with some obscure 3 letter destination code that you haven’t got around to removing yet.
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If they can find some way to put an expiration date in the tag so that after X number of hours it is no longer valid then it might be possible, but if they don’t… 🙁