Micro Tracker
Tiny radio frequency identification (RFID) chips can enable the tracking of everything from pets to batches of razor blades. But their need for antennas to transmit data has held up efforts to shrink them. Now Hitachi has embedded an internal antenna in an RFID chip the size of a fleck of ground pepper using standard semiconductor manufacturing techniques. Special readers provide power to activate the chips and can scan identification numbers from a distance of about one millimeter. Because of the short communication distance, the new chips are not suited for product tracking, but they could be used to authenticate documents such as bank notes, passports, gift certificates, and securities. Hitachi is seeking customers before starting commercial production of the chips, but once a market is found, the chips could be in use within a year.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.
And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.
The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.
Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.
Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch
Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.