Nedap

They are found in public transport chip cards, bank cards, retail products, collars for pets and ear tags for cows: RFID circuits, which store information that can be read remotely. V.O. client Nedap was one of the first companies to develop practical applications for this type of identification using radio signals.

In the early 1970s, Nedap developed a system for electronic shoplifting detection. Detection strips with an electronic resonance circuit (tags) are attached to retail products and can only be removed using special equipment at the cash register. If an article is stolen, the tag triggers an alarm.

Nowadays, Nedap RFID tags are being used worldwide in all kinds of sectors. Examples are building access control, recognition of farm animals, registration of library books or detection of underground pipes. One notable aspect of the technology patented by Nedap is that the tags do not require batteries, because the required supply voltage is taken from a magnetic detection field. In combination with new developments, such as printable RFID tags, this innovation meant that the bar code gained a formidable competitor.