The Future is Tagged: 5 RFID Trends That Will Define the Next Decade

With RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) developing out of its mere tracking-based tool, RFID has evolved to become a fundamental pillar of intelligent automation and a data-driven operation. The following decade will entail the synthesis of RFID and other technologies such as AI, IoT, blockchain, and robotics that will create the digital nervous system of smart factories, supply chains, and retail ecosystems.

It will need traceability, accuracy, and real-time visibility that will enable it to become indispensable to the industries that work towards resiliency and efficiency.

1.      How will AI-powered RFID systems transform decision-making?

Combining AI and RFID will transform inactive information into operational intelligence. The RFID-generated data will be analyzed using the AI algorithms that will forecast the stock outages, equipment servicing requirements, and consumer demand trends.

·         In the example of manufacturing, AI can be used to recognize something wrong about the production flow by examining the actions of RFID for warehouse inventory tags.

·         In the field of logistics, AI can recognize inefficiencies in a path or bottlenecks.

The trend will transform operations - reactive to predictive and prescriptive intelligence.

2.      Will RFID become central to sustainable and circular economies?

Absolutely. Due to the trend of industries developing eco-friendly production processes and waste minimization, RFID will be an important tool in the process of monitoring materials throughout product life cycles.

·         Reusable containers, recyclable materials, and products that are not reusable will be tracked by tags.

·         RFID will help retailers and manufactures to check the transparency of sourcing in compliance with the principles of sustainability.

Traceability based on RFID will become a mandatory and not optional regulation of the circular supply chain by 2035, so that the companies can demonstrate that they are environmentally responsible.

3.      How will RFID revolutionize smart transportation and traffic ecosystems?

Intelligent mobility will be based on RFID. The next-gen traffic systems will also incorporate the RFID tags in their automotives and roads so as to deal with the entire process of tolling, congestion management, and also monitoring of emissions.

·         Moveable RFID Non-line-of-sight will be used to detect vehicles moving, enhancing the speed-based charge and dynamic traffic routing.

·         Governments will use RFID data to conduct real-time traffic analytics, which will assist in the optimization of urban mobility and the decrease of carbon emissions.

Fundamentally, the RFID will be used to propel data-driven transportation systems - autonomous car navigation, EVigator, and optimization of logistics.

4.      How will ultra-wideband (UWB) and hybrid RFID technologies improve precision tracking?

The traditional RFID systems offer a very high visibility but not accuracy in the micro-locations. The entire decade will also include RFID combined with ultra-wideband (UWB), Bluetooth LE, and 5G with centimeter precision tracking.

·         This will imply that warehouses will be able to identify one tool or pallet out of thousands immediately.

·         The hospitals can identify life-saving equipment within a few seconds. An RFID patient tracking system is useful for hospitals.

The asset management will be reinvented in terms of hybrid tracking to preclude the loss and manual search, saving millions every year in all industries.

5.      How will edge computing and IoT integration supercharge RFID scalability?

RFID intelligence will be brought nearer to the point of creation using edge computing. Data will not be sent to the cloud; a process will be made locally on edge devices to process and filter information, which will be faster and minimize latency.

It goes hand-in-hand with IoT, so RFID networks will be self-adaptive and respond to signals in real time: e.g.:

·         Automated reordering at a minimum level of stock.

·         Live notifications in case of asset misplacement.

This intersection will result in self-regulating business ecosystems that are autonomous and speed up Industry 5.0 -the seamless interaction of humans and machines.

In the coming 10 years, it will see the beginning of RFID as a strategic intelligence system, though it will be based on tracking technology.