Researchers develop crypto ID tag to spot counterfeits
The novel ID tag is millimetre-sized and runs on low levels of power by photovoltaic diodes.
Supply chain counterfeiting costs companies billions of dollars annually. Now, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a cryptographic ID tag that can identify a product's authenticity without being bulky.
The novel ID tag is millimetre-sized and runs on low levels of power by photovoltaic diodes. It uses power-free 'backscatter technique' to transmit data at far ranges, the official blog explains.
To build the 'tag of everything', as the researchers call it, a system integration method was used that enabled putting everything on a monolithic silicon chip. An array of small antennas transmit the data back and forth.
The current signal range is around five centimetres, which is considered a far-field range. However, researchers plan on advancing the tech to push the range further.