Technology on the horizon: The future of RFID

 

Dr. Stephen Smith founded Alien Technology in December 1994 and served as the company's CEO until early 1997. He served as a director and consultant to the company through 2004 and recently returned to his position as chief technology officer. As CTO, Dr. Smith leads Alien's advanced engineering and R&D efforts.

 

Dr. Smith is a professor of electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, currently on leave. He is the author of more than 85 refereed technical papers, and holds 15 issued patents. A recognized pioneer in RFID technologies, Dr. Smith is the inventor of the patented Fluidic Self Assembly process that is the basis of Alien's high volume tag manufacturing process. He also invented the Q protocol and was the primary driver of many other technical innovations that rest at the core of EPC Global's Generation 2 UHF specification.

 

Dr. Smith was a Hertz fellow, and recipient of the Presidential Young Investigator award. He received his PhD, MS and BS degrees all in Applied Physics from the California Institute of Technology.

Alien Technology is a leading supplier of radio frequency identification (RFID) products that enable consumer packaged goods companies, retailers and other industries to improve their operating efficiency throughout their supply chain. Through Alien¡¦s patented manufacturing process, Fluidic Self Assembly„· (FSA), an innovation in the packaging of nanoblocks, Alien is enabling the economic manufacturing of UHF RFID tags in unprecedented volumes.

 

Alien is the leader in design and delivery of UHF RFID system architectures and hardware devices including ICs, controllers, RFID readers, antennas, and tags. Alien is the only provider of EPC Class 1 infrastructure, tags and services. Alien's RFID education training through RFID Academy, as well as implementation services, help customers accelerate adoption of RFID.

 

Alien's RFID readers provide a wide range of options: from industrial readers for supply chain to compact reader engines suited for handhelds and printers. The Alien line of high-performance products provide the range, speed, and robustness required for demanding supply chain and logistical operations, and are interoperable with other Class 1, Class 0, and Class 3 vendor products, ensuring ease of implementation and multiple sources of supply.

 

With a manufacturing facility in Morgan Hill, California and a planned expansion facility in Fargo, North Dakota, Alien offers industry-leading manufacturing capacity to meet the rapidly growing market demand.