Ubiquitous Computing: Making It a Reality

Application of the RFID (Radio Frequency IDentifier) chip has expanded rapidly since its practical application 20 years ago. Advances in technology have increased chip memory capacity to several hundreds of bits, significantly reduced antenna size and lowered cost. This development in microchip technology has brought us to the threshold of a development in new computer technology that enables tiny microchips to be implanted in physical objects and from there perceive conditions in the real world. Perceiving conditions in the real world refers to the ability to detect a diverse range of real world information, including current location, temperature and humidity levels, the identity of a person, when a product was made and by whom it was made. The example shown in Fig. 1 shows that it is now becoming possible to implant a microchip loaded with information into clothing, then use a small terminal (Note 1) to read and send the number stored in the microchip to a server computer to obtain detailed information about that object.