RFID Tattoo: Somark of the Beast

ST. LOUIS, Mo., September 9, 2008 - SOMARK Innovations, Inc. has released a technology white paper' on its RFID ink tattoo platform technology. The paper outlines the technology's capabilities regarding features such as data density, detection range and available substrates. Additionally, the company is proud to name Greg Horowitt, Managing Director of T2 Venture Capital and Executive Director of Global CONNECT at University of California San Diego, to the SOMARK advisory board.

"To date, we have received more than two hundred and fifty customer inquiries and website hits from ninety-seven countries, said Mark C. Pydynowski, SOMARK President. "Considering interest regarding our technology's capabilities for applications ranging from animal identification to priceless art and wine bottles, we thought a comprehensive reference would be very useful.

The capabilities paper provides details on the system components such as the tattoo, applicator, readers and middleware. Additionally, it includes comprehensive substrate compatibility, tattoo size, data capacities, environmental compliance and a listing of the company's issued patents.

The white paper continues:

There are two ways SOMARK ink can be read. The first involves a handheld reader that only works when the surface of the reader is in direct contact with the tattoo. This method of reading is quick, easy and inexpensive. The second method of reading is more involved and expensive, but allows for remote reading of the tattoo similar to the way RFID tattoos are read through the use of a panel reader. This remote detection method is ideal for fixed-position automated reading of SOMARK tattoos and is more compatible with metal-laden environments than traditional RFID readers because of the fundamental differences in the way the readers work. Distances of up to 5' have been demonstrated in the lab for this type of reading using frequencies of 10GHz and above using a prototype panel reader. SOMARK ink is responsive to all frequencies and is not tuned to a specific frequency; however the frequency chosen does affect how much data can be stored in a tattoo. Both reading methods require some level of tattoo-to-reader orientation. Just like standard barcodes, the tattoo and reader are not required to be perfectly aligned, but the reader cannot decode the tattoo if it is looking at the edge of the tattoo; just like you can't read writing on a piece of paper if you can only see the edge of the paper and not the surface.

Nic's analysis:
Somark designed its id system with cattle and other beasts in mind. But the applications to product with a label are obvious and overcome the prohibitive costs with RFID tagging. Also, since it is a printed tag, this RFID appears to be less susceptible to hacking when compared to conventional RFID tags. A whole new tag would have to be printed with the new information stored, rather than simply overwriting the current data in a chip.