Rise ofthe Machines: Skynet Daycare

[Tuckerfan]

Vending machines used to track kids in Japan.

Earlier this week the Chuo Elementary School in Osaka’s Chuo district started using vending machines as a way to keep an eye out for children getting to school. Vending machines that sell everything from soft drinks to magazines are common enough across Japan’s urban districts, and the machines around the Osaka public elementary school have been equipped with big gray sensors on top.

Those sensors are able to read the integrated circuit chip tags the size of a business card that have been planted into the backpacks of about 100 students who have volunteered to take part in the experiment that will run until March 20.

Wonder if they’re using RFID tags to do this?

[Sage_Rat]

Most probably Felica (RFID) if they are, but I would need to look.

[Sage_Rat]

Hm, no, I guess Osaka uses different hardware than Tokyo. It is IC tags though.

Poor kids. Though it appears that it is like medical information where you have to have permission to check the database that links names to tag numbers.

Personally I think the yellow hats are much more demeaning.