Radio Frequency Identification Tags on Cows

Radio frequency identification tags are used to track cattle and allow computers to gather real time data on the cow’s movement, health and production. The videos linked in the document shows a dairy cow being milked by a robotic milking system with the computer recording real-time data and calves being fed with an automated system linked to their RFID tags. 

Possible Guiding, Compelling and/or Anchoring Questions

• Why use identification tags on cows?
• How does this technology work? How does it “talk” to the computer?
• Should this technology be used to keep track of our students?

Classroom Suggestions

• Farm Use:
  • Show the value of computer graphing for pattern recognition. (Cow health data can be acted on quickly.) 
  • Alerts can be sent to cell phones immediately when abnormal readings occur.
  • Long term records are generated easily.
  • Photo of a radio frequency tag on a dairy cow’s collar
• Use as a practical application of wave technology:
  • Calculations: wavelength from frequency (= 2.3 x 109 Hz for this model tag), energy emitted/photon, graph frequency’s effect on range
• Wave Technology Applications:
  • Find other applications of the same technology. (baby bracelets in hospitals linked to security systems, passports, product tags, pet IDs, zoos can link into a nationwide database of individual animal health, identify stolen property, track storage conditions for sensitive products) 
  • Easy convenience for information transfer vs security issues
• Science and Society:
  • For use in discussion about how society determines how scientific advancements are used and the moral and legal implications of such use, present the use of RFID tags implanted in students as they are currently used in pets and zoo animals. (instant attendance, no need to write passes, faster lunch line, cross country runners to verify they stayed on course)

Related Resources

• University of Minnesota Extension: New official cattle ID tags will use radio frequency identification (RFID): Describes new requirements for beef cattle identification and reasons for the program.
• How Stuff Works: How RFID Works: Explains how radio frequency identification tags work.
• RFID4U: Dig Deep - Construction of RFID Tags: Information on the construction of RFID tags.