Hitachi's employee-tracking AirLocation II Tag-w WiFi-enabled RFID tags
Think wearing RFID-embedded clothing is pushing the limits of intrusion? If Hitachi has its way, your employer will soon be swapping out that company badge for a significantly more tricked-out version, complete with WiFi and RFID modules. Moving forward from the not-so-harmless RFID mirror, Hitachi is unveiling its AirLocation Tag-w at this week's CEATEC expo, which boasts a frightening ability to track and locate employees anywhere within the workplace. Aiming for "thorough and precise management of people," the device can pinpoint one's exact location, and also monitors any attempts to "enter and leave buildings." In an apparent attempt to color this voyeuristic tag in a positive hue, it also features an "emergency message function" which will broadcast a distress signal from the employee to a central help desk in case an uncontrollable robot army decides to invade your mundane corporate office. Although your manager may be salivating over the sudden ability to know the whereabouts of every mischievous subordinate on site, he / she may think twice once that ¥21,000 ($178) per unit expense hits the cost sheets.
[Via MobileMag]
