So say researchers and developers who are finding ways to make the tiny devices much more than just a hi-tech price tag that can help shops and supermarkets track cans of beans from warehouse to store shelf.

“It all started with simple radio tags and asset tracking,” said Gerd Kortuem, “but that really only gives you an identifier for an object.”

Now, said Dr Kortuem, tiny Radio Frequency ID (RFID) tags are getting smarter and more communicative as bigger memory, basic processing power and wireless technologies are added to them.

“We are trying to embed a little more intelligence beyond location by adding sensors and by networking these objects together,” he said.

Safe and sound

Dr Kortuem and colleagues are working on a project that combines smart tags and personal identifiers to keep an eye on people working on construction sites using heavy machine tools.

“It’s to keep track of how long they are used, to figure out vibrations generated by these tools,” he said. “It’s for health and safety. We create personalised health and safety records for every worker.” read complete article over on the bbc News site here