On 12/10/06, Denny Esterline <firmware@tds.net> wrote:
> I've heard the rhetoric on this idea, but I can't imagine it actualy ever being implemented.
> Think about how hard it would be to steal something - damage the RFID tag, throw it in the
> cart, walk out. WAY to easy.

We have some guys doing RFID at my current contract location. They
tell me that the "rolling a trolley full of groceries through a
checkout" example is not realistic. It can be done for a demo but it's
much much harder to get working in real life.

The big problem is that RFID reception is marginal at the best of
times so a cart full of random items - some of which may be conductive
- is very hard to guarantee for a 100% read rate. And retailers don't
like having items not paid for. A few tin cans piled over other items
in a cart make a passable Faraday cage.

Cheers,
Zik
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