Date of Defense

12-11-2003

Department

Computer Science

First Advisor

Dr. Frank Gambino

Second Advisor

Dr. Pamela Rooney

Third Advisor

Phil Straniero

Abstract

The past century has been one marked by exceptional innovations that have affected nearly every part of life. As a myriad of technological innovations become available over the next decade, one can only guess how these innovations will increasingly change the way that Americans and others around the world live. One of the most promising new technologies currently in development is that of Radio Frequency Identification tags, small microchips that can electronically track and transmit the type of information that has historically been stored by bar code.

Along with the introduction of this new and innovative technology comes a number of issues that must be addressed, including implementation problems, the need for consumer and industry acceptance, and the development of industry usage standards. If these issues can be addressed in a timely manner, there are a great number of benefits and efficiencies that could be gained from the usage of this technology. While Radio Frequency Identification or RFID has the potential to revolutionize many industries, it has proven to be a somewhat controversial technology because of the number of associated consumer privacy issues. This thesis discusses Radio Frequency Identification, its uses and benefits and the issues that must be overcome for the technology to be utilized on a wide scale basis. One can only speculate as to whether the technology will ever be able to overcome the issues of cost, infrastructure, and consumer acceptance to realize its full potential.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Campus Only

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