An Overview on RFID Technology Instruction and Application

This paper provides a non-exhaustive, rather earlier than recent, overview of contributions in the field of Radio Frequency Identification technology (RFID), and its use in several sectors. The multidisciplinary nature of this emerging technology requires skills from various engineering fields. Due to the growing use of RFID in various economic sectors, it seems essential to educate engineers, and technicians, to better master this technology. For this purpose, an RFID engineering technology curriculum may be established using different approaches. This paper discuss an approach to integrate RFID technology within usual engineering curriculums by stressing its link to usual disciplines such as industrial, electrical and computer engineering. A case of an RFID laboratory established at the Université de Moncton (UdeM) is shown. An RFID-based automation of a flexible conveyor system application, carried out in this laboratory, is also described.