Researchers at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, ND have developed a process for attaching tiny silicon radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips to paper, enabling the possibility of better preventing currency counterfeiting and more closely tracking the movements of important classified, legal and financial documents.
According to Val Marinov, an associate professor in industrial and manufacturing engineering at NDSU, the process for creating “smart paper” is similar to a more sophisticated version of fabric screen printing techniques.
The team’s current goal is to reduce the cost of the embedded microchips to five or six cents per sheet of paper.
Several companies have already expressed interest in “smart paper” applications, including product quality control and hospital patient tracking.
Another NDSU team is reportedly working on developing “smart tag” technology capable of operating without an antenna and has received inquiries from the aerospace and oil industries.
Both the “smart paper” and the antenna-less “smart tags” were developed with grant assistance from the U.S. Department of Defense.
For more information, visit Grand Forks Herald.
