RFID & Taxi Cabs

Lately there has been an increasing popularity for finding new applications for RFID technology. One new application I have found for RFID that is potentially beneficial to safety in NYC is the convergence of RFID and mobile devices to determine the safety of taxi cabs. This technology and application is based on the service that is currently offered in Korea, called "Green Taxi, which enables pasengers to get information on the taxi by scanning an RFID tag embedded within the cab's seats" (MobileMentalism.com).


For additional security, the information received from the scanner can be sent to friends or family, allowing them to track the location of the cab from their own mobile device. Although Korea has been quick to introduce new applications of RFID in convergence with mobile devices, the United States has been slower to pick up on this trend. I think this application would be extremely important in a city like NYC where public transporation systems are a major part of the city's culture. This technology could also be applied to the other types of public transportation in NYC such as buses and subways. As someone who is moving to New York, I would be very interested in this technology!

>>UPDATE: Samsung has actually developed a single chip RFID reader that can be plugged into standard mobile phones. Although it has yet to be released, this new technology could provide the United States with the available tool to implement RFID chips in all of its taxi cabs.