Zapped!

A Project about RFID technology
by Preemptive Media
Beatriz DaCosta, Heidi Kumao, Jamie Schulte, Brooke Singer

View sample clip (16.9 mb)

On view at Diverseworks in Houston
April 1-May 30, 2005: "Thought Crimes: The Art of Subversion"

Zapped! is a multi-faceted project by Preemptive Media that examines the mass deployment of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and its effects on our everyday activities. RFID is not yet a household name or a pervasive technology, but Preemptive Media predicts that everyday encounters with this technology (whether known or not) will soon be commonplace.

RFID systems consist of three main components:
1) RFID tags: small programmable devices (some as small as a rice grain) used for object, animal and human tracking. Unlike a bar code, RFID tags can store much more data than an ID number. Some tags are read-only devices, while some are re-programmable. All tags communicate wirelessly with an RFID reader to transmit their data.
2) RFID readers: collect and sometimes rewrite the data stored on RFID tags that are within their range: few inches to several feet.
3) Database/Computer: Databases of RFID information vary widely, but keep track of all the information logged from RFID tags. One of the purposes of a database is to manage a large quantity of information accurately and quickly.

ABOUT
Because they are so small, RFID tags can be placed in or on packaging materials, clothing, wristbands (school, prison, hospital and elderly tracking), and in the case of sub-dermal tags, under animal and human skin. The information from each tag is transmitted wirelessly, which enables new applications which were previously impossible, such as identification at a distance (EZ Pass/toll pass) or automatic checkout. Projected uses of RFID also include passports, pharmaceuticals, etc...

This convenience can also be problematic.

A consumer might willingly consent to the reading of a tag (in their groceries or car, for example) in the appropriate context (for purchase or identification), but the reading of his embedded tags might also occur without his consent OUTSIDE of the specific environment, for example your passport could be read outside of customs, a bag of groceries or a purse could be scanned for its contents, etc. With very little in the way of data privacy laws, the typical consumer is left very vulnerable.

RFID is on the brink of mass implementation. Tags are currently too costly for companies to fully employ them, but the goal of most manufacturers and retailers is to replace barcodes with RFID on most products within the next few years. Both Wal-Mart and the Department of Defense mandated the use of RFID tags on bulk packaging (palettes) of products from their top 100 suppliers by January 2005. Given the current rush to implement this technology specifically for Wal-Mart (the largest company in the world), Preemptive Media has designed a Zapped! initiative specifically for their stores.

Proponents of RFID include industry for product tracking, the government for border control and schools for student identification. Zapped! interrogates the current push toward RFID, encourages public discussion and develops models for creative feedback.

Our project consists of several parts that can be exhibited separately or together.

video

school kit

roach release

etc.