Thesis (M.Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-72). Also available in electronic version.

Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) is a wireless communications technology which allows companies to secure their assets and increase the portability of information. This research was motivated by the increased commercial use of RFID technology. Existing security protocols with high levels of security have high computation requirements, and less intensive protocols can allow a tag to be tracked. The techniques proposed in this thesis result in the increase of ciphertexts available without a significant increase in processing power or storage requirements. The addition of random inputs to the generation of ciphertexts will increase the number of possible results without requiring a more advanced encryption algorithm or an increased number of stored encryption keys. Four methods of altering the plaintext/ciphertext pair (random block, set pattern, random pattern, and indexed placement) are analyzed to determine the effectiveness of each method. The number of ciphertexts generated, generation time, and generation errors were recorded to determine which of the four proposed methods would be the most beneficial in a RFID system. The comparison of these method characteristics determined that the set pattern placement method provided the best solution. The thesis also discusses how RFID transmissions appear to attackers and explains how the random inputs reduce effectiveness of current system attacks. In addition to improving the anonymity of RFID tag transmissions, the concept of authenticating random inputs is also introduced in this thesis. These methods help prevent an adversary from easily associating a tag with its transmissions, thus increasing the security of the RFID system.

Title page, abstract and table of contents only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University of Adelaide Library. / A combination of Radio Frequency Identification technology and ubiquitous computing are revolutionising the manner in which we look at simple objects. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) allows RFID labeled objects to be identified at a distance without physical contact, and ubiquitous computing provides a virtually connected environment for the objects. RFID labels are frequently referred to as the next generation barcodes. RFID Systems provide increased productivity, efficiency, convenience and many advantages over bar codes for numerous applications, especially global supply chain management. RFID labeling has a number of advantages over conventional bar code systems. The optics based bar code systems could be rendered useless by common everyday environments containing dirt, dust, smoke, grease, condensation and by misorientation and misalignment. Furthermore bar codes are subject to fraudulent duplication and counterfeiting with minimal effort. However, there are limitations and constraints inherent to RFID technology: semiconductor thresholds, limits on transmitted power, costs, antenna and coupling inefficiencies. Thus it is important for RFID designers to understand these limitations and constraints in order to optimise system designs and overcome inefficiencies where possible. Therefore the work presented in this dissertation seeks to improve the performance of advanced RFID systems by overcoming a number of these limitations. Prior to a discussion of improving performance, the author's interpretation of a modem RFID system along its evolutionary path as a ubiquitous RFID network and its application to supply chain management is described. Performance improvements are achieved by: the development of electromagnetic theory for RFID system analysis and optimisation; design and development of interrogator antennas; analysis of electrically small and tiny antennas for RFID labels; and development and utilisation of a design methodology for creating high performance label antennas and antennas for tagging metallic objects. Implementations of RFID systems have raised concerns regarding information security and possible violations of end-user privacy. The most profound concerns are raised against low cost RFID technology because of its potential for mass scale deployment, its pervasive nature, and the resource limitations preventing the provision of strong cryptographic solutions. There is a growing need in the RFID community to discover and develop techniques and methods to overcome various hurdles posed by the above-mentioned concerns. Thus, the thesis also considers the vulnerabilities of low cost RFID systems and associated insecurities and privacy concerns resulting from the latter. Prior to addressing such concerns impeding the deployment of low cost RFID technology, a framework within which to provide security services is also detailed. It has become important to both defme and identity a framework based around low cost RFID systems since RFID has become a "catch all" phrase for various other forms of technology. Addressing security and privacy of low cost RFID systems requires novel thinking. The later parts of the thesis outline design considerations for security mechanisms and a number of practicable solutions for providing the features of: mutual authentication; confidentiality; message content security; product authentication; anonymity and untraceability, that are necessary for low cost RFID systems to overcome the weaknesses identified in this dissertation. Implementing these security mechanisms requires the generation of true random tag parameters and true random numbers. Achieving these objectives using a hardware based true random number generator is also described and analysed. A final part of the thesis focuses on active RFID labels and improving their performance. The primary concern with active labels is the life of the onboard battery. Turn-on circuits provide a method of turning "on" and "off" an active label remotely to conserve valuable battery power. Analysis, development and testing of a turn-on circuit concept, based on interrogator field sensing, have provided a means of remotely activating and deactivating active RFID labels and conserving battery power. The final chapter of this thesis provides a detailed analysis, based on coupling relations between electromechanical systems, for evaluating the feasibility of a theft detection sensor, based on a turn-on circuit for an active RFID label, for preventing the theft of high value items. While low cost RFID needs to overcome certain security and privacy related barriers, RFID technology does provide novel and valid approaches to such security related applications as product authentication, anti-counterfeiting and theft detection. It is believed that the contributions from this thesis will extend and elaborate on the existing knowledge base, paving the way forward to allow further significant deployment of advanced RFID techno logy. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1368084 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 2007

Title page, abstract and table of contents only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University of Adelaide Library. / A combination of Radio Frequency Identification technology and ubiquitous computing are revolutionising the manner in which we look at simple objects. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) allows RFID labeled objects to be identified at a distance without physical contact, and ubiquitous computing provides a virtually connected environment for the objects. RFID labels are frequently referred to as the next generation barcodes. RFID Systems provide increased productivity, efficiency, convenience and many advantages over bar codes for numerous applications, especially global supply chain management. RFID labeling has a number of advantages over conventional bar code systems. The optics based bar code systems could be rendered useless by common everyday environments containing dirt, dust, smoke, grease, condensation and by misorientation and misalignment. Furthermore bar codes are subject to fraudulent duplication and counterfeiting with minimal effort. However, there are limitations and constraints inherent to RFID technology: semiconductor thresholds, limits on transmitted power, costs, antenna and coupling inefficiencies. Thus it is important for RFID designers to understand these limitations and constraints in order to optimise system designs and overcome inefficiencies where possible. Therefore the work presented in this dissertation seeks to improve the performance of advanced RFID systems by overcoming a number of these limitations. Prior to a discussion of improving performance, the author's interpretation of a modem RFID system along its evolutionary path as a ubiquitous RFID network and its application to supply chain management is described. Performance improvements are achieved by: the development of electromagnetic theory for RFID system analysis and optimisation; design and development of interrogator antennas; analysis of electrically small and tiny antennas for RFID labels; and development and utilisation of a design methodology for creating high performance label antennas and antennas for tagging metallic objects. Implementations of RFID systems have raised concerns regarding information security and possible violations of end-user privacy. The most profound concerns are raised against low cost RFID technology because of its potential for mass scale deployment, its pervasive nature, and the resource limitations preventing the provision of strong cryptographic solutions. There is a growing need in the RFID community to discover and develop techniques and methods to overcome various hurdles posed by the above-mentioned concerns. Thus, the thesis also considers the vulnerabilities of low cost RFID systems and associated insecurities and privacy concerns resulting from the latter. Prior to addressing such concerns impeding the deployment of low cost RFID technology, a framework within which to provide security services is also detailed. It has become important to both defme and identity a framework based around low cost RFID systems since RFID has become a "catch all" phrase for various other forms of technology. Addressing security and privacy of low cost RFID systems requires novel thinking. The later parts of the thesis outline design considerations for security mechanisms and a number of practicable solutions for providing the features of: mutual authentication; confidentiality; message content security; product authentication; anonymity and untraceability, that are necessary for low cost RFID systems to overcome the weaknesses identified in this dissertation. Implementing these security mechanisms requires the generation of true random tag parameters and true random numbers. Achieving these objectives using a hardware based true random number generator is also described and analysed. A final part of the thesis focuses on active RFID labels and improving their performance. The primary concern with active labels is the life of the onboard battery. Turn-on circuits provide a method of turning "on" and "off" an active label remotely to conserve valuable battery power. Analysis, development and testing of a turn-on circuit concept, based on interrogator field sensing, have provided a means of remotely activating and deactivating active RFID labels and conserving battery power. The final chapter of this thesis provides a detailed analysis, based on coupling relations between electromechanical systems, for evaluating the feasibility of a theft detection sensor, based on a turn-on circuit for an active RFID label, for preventing the theft of high value items. While low cost RFID needs to overcome certain security and privacy related barriers, RFID technology does provide novel and valid approaches to such security related applications as product authentication, anti-counterfeiting and theft detection. It is believed that the contributions from this thesis will extend and elaborate on the existing knowledge base, paving the way forward to allow further significant deployment of advanced RFID techno logy. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1368084 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 2007

Thesis (MCIS - Computer and Information Sciences)--AUT University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references. Also held in print (vii, 94 leaves ; 30 cm.) in the Archive at the City Campus (T 658.514 ZHA).

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1999 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / Comparison of short-range telemetry and radio frequency identification (RFID) systems reveals that they are based on very similar operating principles. Combining the identification and measurement functions into one transponder sensor offers added value for both RFID and telemetry systems. The presence of a memory (e.g. FRAM) in the transponder, required for ID information, can also be utilized for storing measurement results. For passive transponders low power consumption is one of the main objectives. Wireless power transfer for passive transponder sensors together with above aspects concerning a combined telemetry and identification system are discussed.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

Localization and motion control (navigation) are two major tasks for a successful mobile robot navigation. The motion controller determines the appropriate action for the robot’s actuator based on its current state in an operating environment. A robot recognizes its environment through some sensors and executes physical actions through actuation mechanisms. However, sensory information is noisy and hence actions generated based on this information may be non-deterministic. Therefore, a mobile robot provides actions to its actuators with a certain degree of uncertainty. Moreover, when no prior knowledge of the environment is available, the problem becomes even more difficult, as the robot has to build a map of its surroundings as it moves to determine the position. Skilled navigation of a differential drive mobile robot (DDMR) requires solving these tasks in conjunction, since they are inter-dependent. Having resolved these tasks, mobile robots can be employed in many contexts in indoor and outdoor environments such as delivering payloads in a dynamic environment, building safety, security, building measurement, research, and driving on highways. This dissertation exploits the use of the emerging Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) technology for the design and implementation of cost-effective and modular control techniques for navigating a mobile robot in an indoor environment. A successful realization of this process has been addressed with three separate navigation modules. The first module is devoted to the development of an indoor navigation system with a customized RFID reader. This navigation system is mainly pioneered by mounting a multiple antenna RFID reader on the robot and placing the RFID tags in three dimensional workspace, where the tags’ orthogonal position on the ground define the desired positions that the robot is supposed to reach. The robot generates control actions based on the information provided by the RFID reader for it to navigate those pre-defined points. On the contrary, the second and third navigation modules employ custom-made RFID tags (instead of the RFID reader) which are attached at different locations in the navigation environment (on the ceiling of an indoor office, or on posts, for instance). The robot’s controller generates appropriate control actions for it’s actuators based on the information provided by the RFID tags in order to reach target positions or to track pre-defined trajectory in the environment. All three navigation modules were shown to have the ability to guide a mobile robot in a highly reverberant environment with variant degrees of accuracy.

Research report submitted to the School of Economic and Business Sciences, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, 2013. / In recent years, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology has transformed from being unknown to mainstream applications that help facilitate the managing of manufactured goods and materials. Its information storage capacity as well as its ability to transfer information through contactless means without line-of-sight translates to significant advantages to deliver various benefits for retailers and their clients in the retail settings. However, up until now RFID technology has gained very little momentum and the status of adoption particularly of retail organisations in South Africa is unknown. To fill this research gap, an exploratory study that draws on the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) framework was employed to provide a deeper understanding of South African retailers’ perceptions of RFID adoption. Five interviewees representing their respective organisations participated in the study. The findings suggested that the adoption level is very low and only one organisation from the sample used had done a pilot project. The results also indicated that cost, standardisation and government support influenced the adoption of the technology. Complexity and technology competence were not considered to have any influence in the adoption of the technology. Competitive pressure was not deemed influential if the technology was not embedded in the whole supply chain, a somewhat surprising result. There were no anticipated impacts on the employees if this technology was implemented. Methodological and practical implications are also discussed.