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March 22, 2006
Radio Labels
Engineers have finally produced labels that can pick up and respond to radio signals (see "Beyond Bar Codes"). You send out a signal, and the label detects it and sends back an answer. The answer, so far, is basically "Here I am!" While such labels are now possible, it'll be a few years before they can be made cheaply enough to be used on everything you buy.
But what happens then? This is just the sort of question that makes science fiction writers go all tingly inside. Whenever new technology is added to society, things change. It's worth taking time to think about it—before the technology arrives.
Challenge: Here I Am!
- Radio labels are very small and made of plastic. The idea is to use them in place of bar codes on products. Remember that they respond to a radio signal by sending the answer "Here I am!" Here are some ways in which such labels could be used.
- A device that sounds an alarm if any labeled item from a list comes nearby.
- A device that automatically takes money from your bank to pay for labeled purchases as you walk out of a store.
- A device to identify a person; for example, a wristband with one of these labels.
- A device to count how many labeled items are in a place.
- A device to help find a lost labeled item.
What other ideas do you have?
- Pick one of the ideas from the list or use your own. Write down as many uses as you can for such a device. Which of these uses do you think would be "good" for society? Why? Which might be "bad?" Why?
If you wish, send your answers to us at scifizone@snkids.com (or fill in the form below). If we use your idea, you may be eligible to win a prize! Please include your first name, age, city or town, and state. If you are under 13 years old, get your parent's permission to write to us.
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