RFID prevents power tool theft

Bosch Power Tools has an idea about how to stop power tools from walking off construction job sites: as part of their anti-theft Safe & Sound program, they're putting RFID chips in their circular saws, hammer drills and other tools sold to construction businesses. They'll be a bit more expensive than their non-tagged counterparts (by two to five percent), but considering the construction industry lost between $300 million and $1 billion to equipment theft last year, it may end up being a very small price to pay. The serial number of the RFID tags ties into an inventory database of asset-tracking records. On the construction site, managers use an Intermec 700 Series Windows Mobile device attached to a tag reader to scan the tools on site and transmit tracking information to the asset database. The obvious next step for this program is to bring in the Secom Robot X to handle the dirty work of smacking down on the tool thieves.

[Via textually]

[jn @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

I like RFID. If I had the ability, I'd chip everyone in the world with them and make them mandatory for employment, schooling, etc.

Believe me, I'd crack down on crime so hard people would be afraid to commit crimes because they KNOW they would be caught.

All I'd have to do is set up a network of GSM, GPRS, RFID scanners everywhere people normally traffic and law enforcement would be able to track, cataloge and store the data corresponding to all the criminals and non criminals on Earth.

Kidnbapping, drug deals and other crime would become a thing of the past. Then I'd couple this plan with an overly aggressive capital punishment system.

You deal drugs - YOU DIE
You kidnap and rape - YOU DIE
You steal, you got away for 10 -20
You're part of organized crime - YOU DIE

It works for China anyway. They have 10 times America's population and 1/15th the crime.

[Paul @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

From my peripheral vision, those tools looked a lot like a robot.

[Karl @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

RFID to keep tools from walking off? I don't think that unless they are tied to some RFID camera system that is set up to snap a picture of the thief so you can see who took the tool that this will make any difference.

It might make getting them back at the pawn shop a little easier (OBTW you have to pay to get your stolen property back right away since the pawn shop owner is out of pocket and you have to reimburse him or it goes to the evidence room at the local constabulary until it comes to trial for receiving stolen property).

I also predict that the construction industry's shrinkage will get larger as a result of direct inventory correlation of missing property.

My 2 cents worth.

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

If theives are smart enough to scratch off serial numbers, they will probably learn to open the tool to remove the RFID tag.

How does this help prevent theft anyway? Mabe it helps recovery, but prevention?

[MarkF @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

I like to idea of RFID, but still fail to see how this will stop tool theft. Being able to inventory tools will do nothing to prevent someone from walking off with a drill. The only real benefit here will be the ability to quickly scan the tools at the local pawn shop to maybe get your drill/saw back.

[Max @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Whao! jn -- you need to chill or get laid or something. Or at least have a couple beers or a splif. Crazy!

[skype_fan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

It works for China anyway. They have 10 times America's population and 1/15th the crime.

This is due to the fact that chinese are not so trigger happy and there is no NRA. Less guns, less crime :D No need for RFID to accomplish this goal.

Still I don't see the point of RFID to prevent theft. It's not difficult to turn of these chips and what's then ? Seems doing RFID in every dogs pooh is at the moment just another big business.

[gork @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Better idea....use a key. There are currently hand guns that will not operate when you are not wearing a ring containing a (possibly RFID type device) key. Make it so one had to wear a ring to use it and then you have 2 things...safety (as you have to REMEMBER to take a second to put on the key) and theft reduction (they would be useless with out the key.

[pacey @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Skype,

Here we go, blaiming guns and not the people who use them. The chinese have no rights, so guns are pointless. If you are old enough, you might remember students being killed with guns and run over by tanks during a non-violent protest, but I digress...

RFID is an interesting idea that may have a ton of useful implimentations, but I'm not sure this is one of them. Unless there was a way to scan everyone as they left the site and have a database of each tool and owner to cross reference, your not going to stop anything.

Quit blaming guns and the NRA for crime and get back on topic.

[Lee Gibson @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

"Less guns, less crime"

Care to substantiate that?

[Sergio @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

"If you are old enough, you might remember students being killed with guns and run over by tanks during a non-violent protest, but I digress..."

If you are old enough, you might remember the national guard gunning down students at Kent State during a non-violent protest, but I digress...

[LC @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Let's see, National guradsmen who were poorly trained in riot control who were not ordered to fire on students compared to tanks running over protesting students who were ordered by the government to open fire. Yeah I see the similarity, but I digress....

[NRA @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

> Less guns, less crime

No correlation. Whatsoever.

[lionlegs @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Paul, I know what you mean. I was just scrolling down the page and thought it was a banned anti-burgular device.