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Wireless Chip Embedded in Paper

Posted by timothy on from the no-need-to-say-papers-please-anymore dept.

neutron_p writes "Japanese company Oji Paper has developed technology to embed semiconductor chips in paper during the papermaking processes. The embedded chip is 0.5x0.5mm and comes with a built-in antenna for wireless transmission at frequencies of between 13.56MHz to 2.45GHz. This breakthrough technology enables mass production of chip-embedded paper that will be used in lots of paper products: personal checks, paper bills, gift certificates, etc."

24 comments

  1. How soon until... by HaloZero · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...this technology is used in printed paper money (though society is moving away from such things) ?

    Worse yet, when do my professors start putting it in the homework?

    --
    Informatus Technologicus
  2. Oh No! by tbjw · · Score: 5, Funny

    How long before they place these in the tinfoil?
    Soon I won't even be able to trust my hat.

    1. Re:Oh No! by Oliver+Wendell+Jones · · Score: 3, Funny

      Better stock up now!

      But, wait, how can you be sure it's not already happened? Maybe you should put all your foil in the microwave and zip any RFID tags - if it arcs, sparks or sputters, there was probably a tag...

      --
      A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing -- Emo Phillips
  3. Paper RFID by benhocking · · Score: 1

    Actually, it sounds like they'll soon be able to print these as RFID's as ubiquitously as bar codes. This is good for efficiency, and potentially bad for privacy.

    --
    Ben Hocking
    Need a professional organizer?
  4. surveillance by dauthur · · Score: 0

    I don't know how awesome this technology is... I don't think the technology would just be used for credit cards and such. The government would love to turn this on me, as would private big-money people who love to eavesdrop any way they can. I'll probably be burning my paper soon if things go the Japanese way.

  5. What?! by delta_avi_delta · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Just ponder, for a moment, the mind boggling stupidity of putting RFID tags in money. I can just see thugs with high-powered, directional readers standing around street corners until a "worthwhile" target strolls by.

    1. Re:What?! by Tim+the+Gecko · · Score: 2, Funny

      So Slashdot readers need to apply tinfoil to their wallets as well as their hats...

    2. Re:What?! by Jucius+Maximus · · Score: 1
      " So Slashdot readers need to apply tinfoil to their wallets as well as their hats..."

      Already done as of 14 weeks ago. Since then I've taken four international flights between the US and Canada, as well as 2 domestic US flights and the airline security folks didn't complain.

    3. Re:What?! by bhima · · Score: 1

      yeah, but they look at you funny

      --
      Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
    4. Re:What?! by Jucius+Maximus · · Score: 1
      I'm a young brown guy with a Canadian passport, they'll look at me funny anyway. :P

      Btw, with respect to your sig, I paid for my own iPod. ;)

    5. Re:What?! by bhima · · Score: 1
      Then you need to keep your hair really short and grow a big beard, it'll help.

      Yeah I paid for mine too, and shipped it to me the day after I decided I wanted it. I just make it a habit not to be availble to advertising, hense the whole foe thing

      --
      Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
  6. Old News by VernonNemitz · · Score: 1

    link

  7. Smart paper by madaxe42 · · Score: 1

    The interesting question is, how about a wireless receiver?

    If it's possible to create a chip this small, would it be possible to embed enough electronics in a piece of paper, while keeping it still flexible, to power a polymer based display, with data perhaps remotely recieved?

    1. Re:Smart paper by Jucius+Maximus · · Score: 1
      "If it's possible to create a chip this small, would it be possible to embed enough electronics in a piece of paper, while keeping it still flexible, to power a polymer based display, with data perhaps remotely recieved?"

      Better question: How do they power the chip? Is there a power source embedded in the paper as well?

    2. Re:Smart paper by lashi · · Score: 2, Interesting
      >Better question: How do they power the chip? Is there a power source embedded in the paper as well?

      It looks like it would work like a contactless memory RFID. That means it would be powered by an externally transmitted radio wave. The article does say it "comes with a built-in antenna".

  8. Applications for this technology... by Apparently+someone · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "...personal checks, paper bills, gift certificates, etc."

    I tend to believe that legal documents would benefit with a greater or more reasonable return on investment than financial documents when using an imbedded chip.

    Birth Certificates?
    Driver's Licenses?
    Deeds?
    Wills?

    For the above mentioned applications, a simple example. Imagine walking into a driver's lincense bureau and being redirected to the proper location for your DL renewal without waiting in line.

    I'm sure the possibilities are endless, but doesn't it seem that legal documents would get more long-term play out of this interesting technology?

  9. I, for one by bwd234 · · Score: 1

    welcome our new RFID imbedded paper overlords.

  10. Stick on labels by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Actually this could be quite cool if you tend to collect a lot of junk,store stuff, moving and are a bit anal. Put a label on the items, save the code and a description. Then you could use a scanner to find the item you need without having to look through several boxes.

  11. Privacy concerns by maddh · · Score: 2, Funny

    (automated voice) "This issue of Hustler has been viewed.. 21.4 ..times"

  12. ..and digital paper makes... by utopia27 · · Score: 1

    I wonder how this will integrate with the sets of "erasable" "digital paper" folks have been working up? I know two of the issues there were: 1) mass production, and 2) I/O. This seems to fix #2 right up, and significantly ease #1.

    Makes it that much closer to the "reloadable" newspapers I drooled over in Minority Report...

  13. Trackable Mail by mrblah · · Score: 1

    I wish they'd stick these things in envelopes so I could track my mail to confirm that yes, my landlord has in fact received the check, and he should look in his wife's purse before calling me.

  14. Potato chips? by mbstone · · Score: 1

    If they can embed ICs in paper, they can certainly use other substrates, for example the potato chip! Imagine a Beowulf cluster of Pringles, still in the can....

  15. spy paper by chia_monkey · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm surprised this article isn't in the "YRO" section. I see a lot of applications where this could be used as "spy paper". How easy would it be to "give a gift" and then track someone's movement? A business card, a photograph, anything. It's kinda creepin' me out just thinking about it.

    --

    "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts...for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang