RFID technology uses radio waves for wireless object or individual identification. A device reads data from a wireless tag without physical contact or line of sight. Commercially available since the 1970s, RFID is prevalent in everyday items like car keys, employee IDs, and access cards.
The U.S. government employs two RFID types for border management: vicinity RFID (readable from 20 to 30 feet) and proximity RFID (requires close scanning). RFID cards store only a number linking to secure databases, not personal information.
The system operates through electromagnetic coupling in the radio frequency spectrum, comprising a scanning antenna, transceiver, and transponder (in the RFID tag). Readers, fixed or mobile, activate tags with transmitted signals, and tags respond with data sent back to the antenna.
RFID systems have tags and readers. Readers emit radio waves and receive signals from RFID tags. Tags, passive or active, use radio waves to convey identity and information. Passive tags are powered by readers, while active tags have batteries. RFID tags store various data, and reader systems can be mobile or integrated into structures.
