Open Source RFID

Filed in archive RFID Basics on August 16, 2005

Did you know that there is a fledgling open source RFID movement?

I learned about open source RFID through the just-released InfoWorld Open Source Buyers Guide.

In addition to covering the usual open source categories, including open source ERP and open source CRM, the Guide also has a section on open source RFID:

"Companies have had to rely on expensive commercial packages to get the ball rolling in their own businesses, but that could be set to change. Founded by two Canadian entrepreneurs, the RadioActive Foundation aims to develop a suite of open source RFID applications that support EPC (Electronic Product Code) and other standards from the EPCGlobal Network.

Its first project is Fusion, a middleware layer for managing and gathering data from tags and sensor readers before delivering that data to enterprise information systems. Other planned projects include Neutrino, a set of tools for exchanging EPC data between business partners; and Graviton, a driver-based simulator for RFID hardware from various manufacturers. All the RadioActive Foundation projects are for release under the apache license."

However, don't hold your breath. Everything is still in the planning stages. Volunteers requested -- visit the RadioActive Foundation "participate" page for details.