A new vision for the Internet

The EU-funded project CASAGRAS ('Coordination and support action for global RFID-related activities and standardisation') aims to provide a framework of foundation studies to assist the European Commission and the global community in defining and accommodating international is...

The EU-funded project CASAGRAS ('Coordination and support action for global RFID-related activities and standardisation') aims to provide a framework of foundation studies to assist the European Commission and the global community in defining and accommodating international issues and developments concerning radio frequency identification (RFID), with particular reference to the emerging 'Internet of Things'. The project is funded under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) with EUR 533,703. CASAGRAS is making headlines across the scientific community and has already received praise from the EU. Its project partners include representatives from China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, the UK, and the USA. Now all radio frequency identification stakeholders are being asked to join in the discussion about the future of the Internet through its online forum. The key topics being discussed by CASAGRAS include the concept of the 'Internet of Things', which refers to the wireless self-configuring network between objects. In the future, 'things' as boring as household appliances could be networked to the Internet. Hypothetically speaking, a fridge could be aware of what is stored inside and order another litre of milk when it runs out or even make people aware that it is close to its expiry date. The applications are endless. 'It's an exciting time for anyone involved with RFID and its associated technologies. The international move towards the development of an "Internet of Things" continues to raise the profile of RFID as a technology with enormous potential to revolutionise global markets, bringing both economic and societal benefits,' CASAGRAS project coordinator Ian G Smith said. Mr Smith, who is also chief executive officer of the UK-based European Centre of Excellence for AIDC (Automatic Identification and Data Capture), commented: 'CASAGRAS is one of the most important RFID projects ever funded by the European Commission with its brief to make recommendations and to propose standards and best practice that can be agreed and applied worldwide.' The project will take a holistic view and will consider the global challenges of the future as well as the opportunities. 'CASAGRAS would consider how best to meet the global challenges and maximise the opportunities. It would examine global standards, regulatory and other issues concerning RFID and provide a framework of foundation studies to assist the international community to accommodate the issues concerning RFID and the Internet of Things,' Mr Smith went on to say. Continual cooperation with other projects and with as many stakeholders as possible, is however central to the success of the project. This is why the creation of the online forum is so important. In conjunction with this, CASAGRAS will liaise with other associated EU-funded projects including GRIFS (Global RFID Interoperability Forum for Standards) and the coordinating initiative for RFID projects in Europe, CERP (Cluster for European RFID Projects). 'Our kick-off meeting in Tokyo brought the partners together for the first time and demonstrated their exceptional range of expertise. This is an international team to meet international needs. It will demonstrate a high degree of independence and have a strategic impact on development trends for RFID, not only in Europe, but across the global community,' Mr Smith said.