RFID 2030: Home and Education

These systems offer other benefits, too. Schools can now afford all the cool interactive materials that make learning fun. Many schools that had to cut their music, art and physical education programs have been able to reinstate them. In low-economic districts, schools can provide laptops to students who can't afford them. And in some communities, homeowners have even received a slight reduction in property taxes. (That made some skeptics embrace change!)

Sensors
The School Bailout Act of 2012 also drove RFID adoption because of the desire to cut energy costs and CO2 emissions, which were contributing to global warming. Twenty years ago, school districts had little control over energy expenses. It was virtually impossible to know if classroom lights were left on overnight or thermostats were set too high. The act encouraged school districts to invest in sensor-based networks, which monitor and control lights and temperature from a central location.


Now we even use the school's sensor network in science classes, to monitor the status of chemistry experiments. The sensors automatically record readings of temperature, light or gases emitted at timed intervals during experiments. My parents tell me that when they were in school, they had to sit around with a thermometer and write down the temperature reading of every substance they heated in a beaker.

Temperature sensors also help keep students safe. Twenty years ago, some student athletes became overheated and dehydrated during routine practices and ended up in the hospital—according to news reports, several even died. Now, many schools invest in football helmets that contain built-in heat sensors that alert coaches and trainers on their handhelds if a player's body temperature, hydration level, pulse or other critical factors rise above predetermined thresholds.

Conclusion
History shows us that change doesn't always come easily. But advances in both science and culture—often related to technological innovation—can result in vast improvements in our world and our lives. The integration of RFID technology into America's educational system over the past two decades is a prime example.

Photos and illustrations: iStock Photo. Cover photo: René Mansi/iStock Photo

Previously, we featured scenarios imagining what the world of RFID will be like in 2030 for the retail and manufacturing industries, as well as the travel and health-care sectors.