A branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art has implemented RFID for art preservation and climate control.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York recently decided to use battery-powered RFID tags for data collection purposes concerning the environment that the artwork is displayed in. Eventually, this data will be used to monitor climactic changes and adjust climate controls so they stay at an ideal level for the preservation of the artwork. Climate control is crucial, as artwork is extremely sensitive to environmental changes.

The Cloisters, a branch of the Met that features medieval art and architecture, recently implemented an RFID-based climate control system. Acting as a test site, the greatest challenge at the Cloisters was creating a system that could monitor conditions throughout different parts of the facility, encompassing all of its artwork. By using a wireless solution with a low-power mote sensor, the sensors were easy to install and would last between 5-8 years, allowing for an easy to maintain process.

Approximately seven different rooms throughout the Cloisters had 100 sensors installed in order to measure climactic factors such as temperature, humidity, airflow levels, air quality, door positions and light levels. Once conditions are measured, the sensors forward data to a cloud-based system that then applies 3D models in order to determine airflow and measure temperature highs and lows throughout the room. Should any unusual measurement be recorded, the system can automatically issue e-mail alerts, allowing staff to quickly address any potential problems.

After a sufficient amount of data is collected and analyzed from the Cloisters, the art’s status will also be tracked in order to ultimately obtain 100 percent coverage throughout the museums.

Learn more about RFID technology here.

Recently, we discussed the potential use of RFID chips with high-schoolers in New Caanan, Connecticut. Now, school officials in Contra Costa County, CA have decided to test RFID tracking on preschoolers with a federal grant that they received.

During school hours, students will wear an RFID jersey that tracks their movement and collects data, such as whether or not the child has eaten. The idea is that RFID tracking will save costs, since teachers used to have to manually keep track of attendance and meal schedules.

In fact, with the RFID chips, every movement the child makes is capable of being tracked. Unlike with high-schoolers, preschoolers won’t be able to understand the implications and ramifications of the study. Personally, I’m wondering what say parents will have in their child’s participation.

Let us know what you think about tracking preschoolers with RFID by commenting here, or on our Facebook or Twitter pages.

If you’re still confused about what exactly RFID technology is, learn more here.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technonolgy’s Media Lab recently implemented a program using RFID readers as a part of a network of presence-based information displays.

When visitors come to the Media Lab, their presence is sensed through ultra high frequency RFID readers via RFID badges that they are given to wear. From there, the system automates the creation of personal profiles, and then saves it so that they can be accessed online later.

With this system, visitors will be able to retrieve personalized content and group information sharing, delivering location and activity data to an interactive display that tracks the progress of their visit. From there, visitors can build a personalized portfolio of their visit, then view, bookmark and save information on research projects, even being able to share their experiences with others who are interacting with the system.

I really like the interactivity of this solution. Yesterday, we discussed how mobile barcodes make the world come to life, but in this instance, RFID does the job. However, some may argue that this could infringe upon visitor’s privacy, but in this instance, I think the benefits of the experience definitely outweigh any cons.

Ever since the advent of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, skeptics have thought that “big brother” was coming, while proponents argued that the technology has more benefits than harm. Now, with Wal-Mart about to implement a new ID-based inventory tracking system, privacy concerns have become elevated.

Wal-Mart plans on placing removable RFID tags on individual garments that will allow workers to quickly determine which sizes are missing, etc., to ensure that shelves are stocked and inventory is tightly tracked.

From a supply chain perspective, this sounds like a great idea, but for those who are concerned with privacy, it is worrisome. Although tags can be removed from the garments, they can’t be turned off and are easily traceable. Potentially, marketers or criminals could track where consumers live, even scan their garbage to discover what had been recently purchased.

Previously, I had discussed how certain states are adopting RFID licenses. With Wal-Mart’s new technology, retailers would be able to scan those customers’ ID’s without them ever finding out. In theory, retailers could scan the RFID enabled licenses as customers make purchases, combine the information with their credit card data, and then know their identity.

Proponents dismiss these concerns, and Wal-Mart is asking that suppliers use only removable labels, rather than embedding tags in the clothes themselves, to dismiss concerns on being able to track every action of a consumer.

As someone in the Auto-ID industry, I think that this is a step in the right direction for Wal-Mart, and I’m sure other retailers will follow suite. However, if you have a different opinion about RFID in clothing and other personal items, we’d love to hear it. Let us know by commenting here, or on our Facebook page.

American Apparel, a LA-based fashion retailer, manufacturer and distributor has over 200 retail stores in 18 countries and is still growing! With all of their apparel manufactured in the US, including the knitting, dying, cutting, sewing, and design, it was always a challenge to keep track of so much stock (over 26,000 SKU items). In order to reduce the amount of lost sales due to out-of-stock clothing, American Apparel needed a more efficient system to keep track of their inventory.

It was clear that what American Apparel needed was an item-letvel RFID solution to control its manufacturing, distribution and retail operations, allowing them to receive benefits not only on the retail floor, but also throughout their supply chain.

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